DragonBall Omega: The Gemini Saga
by Marshall of the Brethren
Summary: Boxer and co.'s adventures continue as they follow the clues that Nappa and Raditz left behind. But where will these clues lead them? New characters and challenges await! (PG for some language and violence)
1. A Taste of Things Yet to Come

**DragonBall Omega: The Gemini Saga**

_By Marshall Honorof_

**Chapter I: A Taste of Things Yet to Come**

The blond haired man in the white robe escorted the girl down the hallway. Surrounding them were two knights of the man. It was quite apparent that the girl was being held there against her will.

Finally, the four of them reached the bridge, a huge window into space towering over them at the far end of the room. This was the highest level of the large bridge; at two lower levels, captains and their subordinates worked to keep the ship in orbit of the blue planet that they were currently stationed near.

"See your planet there?" asked the man in a firm tone of voice, with a regal accent. "You will give me the location of the power crystal or it will be destroyed."

The girl was in her early twenties, with deep purple hair that ran down to her shoulders and angular eyes, the irises a pale green. Standing not too tall, she gazed up at the towering pillar of strength that was her captor. She said nothing at first, but then replied. "My people would sooner all perish than let the likes of you command the crystal."

Angered, he smashed his hand across her face, sending her directly to the ground with a large thud. "It is no use hiding it!" he yelled, his eyes fiery. "We know that it is in this quadrant of the galaxy. We just need your help to pinpoint its position."

With that, he snapped his fingers, and the knights followed him out of the room, escorting the girl as well. The corridors of the enormous spaceship seemed to stretch onward forever, but the man seemed to know exactly where he was going. After descending many flights of staircases, they finally reached their destination.

This corridor was small (comparatively) and rather dimly lit. The girl's nose wrinkled. The whole place reeked of some foul odor, as if it were never cleaned. This was indeed a much neglected part of the ship. After walking a final short distance, one of the knights opened the door, as the other knight unceremoniously shoved her in.

The man in the white robe, still glowering at her, blocked the doorway as she looked around. This place was a prison cell! Against one end of the wall was a cot, and there was a horrid looking bathroom at the other end. Other than that, the room was bare. An incandescent light source flickered at the center of the ceiling, already dim, threatening to go out any second.

"You," the man spat at her, "Have tried my patience. But let me tell you this, clever girl: I am the one who wields ultimate power here, and I will wield it everywhere once you tell me where that crystal is. If you will not reveal the location to me, then you and your whole miserable planet will suffer greatly. With this ship, I can easily destroy your puny planet at will, so don't test me, or your people will regret it."

The girl sat up and continued to look at the man, who turned around to leave. Right before he exited the doorway completely, he shot his head back. "You have your options: you can give me the crystal's location or you can watch as your planet is destroyed. You have twenty-four hours, girl. Don't try anything funny."

The door slammed shut behind them, and a stream of light stood in place of a latch. A lock made of light could not be broken so easily, as anything to touch it would be burned. Nonetheless, the girl picked herself up and threw herself against the door, only to come crashing back down to the ground in pain. It was futile. Nothing she did could make an impact on her situation.

Without further option, she began to meditate, trying to call out to a soul somewhere who would save her.

***

The man dismissed the two knights, and they left him alone at his throne at the top floor of the bridge. He picked up a wineglass and swished it around, staring at the planet which his ship was circling. 

"Miserable brat," he thought. "She thinks that by sacrificing her people she can prevent me from attaining the power to rule this galaxy."

He hit a button and a small computer system descended in front of his face. Typing deftly, he brought up a few menus and eventually reached his destination.

"Frieza…" he said, letting the word gently slide through his lips, savoring the sound. "Frieza… Lord of the Universe."

He stared at the picture for a long time. The pink beast wearing only chest armor and underclothes certainly did not look very intimidating. Certainly, he had very muscular legs, a thick tail, and two devilish horns protruding from his head, but still, Frieza did not look all that dangerous to the man.

"How was a creampuff like him the Lord of the Universe?" the man asked himself, and was answered by his resident prophet, Therese.

"That creampuff could transform at will, unlike you," she said. "Frieza's final form was a little more… intimidating." With that, she changed the view on the screen to that of a very slender warrior with bluish skin and purple patches around his chest and head. Every part of his body was balanced, throbbing with sheer power.

"Now THAT," Therese explained, "Is the Lord of the Universe."

"Indeed," the man agreed. "I must have that crystal… it will unlock my true potential."

"I've been trying to tell you," the prophet explained, "The crystal will not increase your power in the least; only let you push beyond your normal limits."

"I'm well aware, Therese," he confirmed. "I know that the crystal will provide me with no power I didn't already have… but you see… I have an ace up my sleeve." With that, he hit a button and the computer system rescinded into the ceiling. Therese came before him and sat herself down on the thin railing that overlooked the two other levels of the bridge.

"An ace?" she asked. "What would you know about an ace? You're just a human."

"So are you," he shot back.

"Maybe so," she agreed, "But I came in contact with the crystal once. This is what happened to me: superhuman powers and the ability to see the future. I imagine if you've been training and practicing the dark arts of alchemy with your own body like you say you have, if you could take all of the crystal's power, you would become something far greater than the universe has ever known."

The man took a sip from his wineglass. "Exactly," he hissed. "That is all I need. It's not necessary to have a mere power increase… I need to push myself beyond normal human limits. I know I can do it… after all, it was certainly done by my ancestors."

Drawing the computer screen down again, he punched in the name "Krillin" and looked up a family tree.

"Indeed," he said, "My distant ancestors were Krillin and Android 18. If nothing else, I have powerful android blood coursing somewhere in my veins."

Therese nodded. "If that's true," she said, "The crystal will give you unfathomable power."

"That's good," he replied. "Now leave, Therese. I wish to be alone."

She stepped back. "As you wish, Master." With that, she opened the door behind her, her hood cloaking the back of her head, the only part of her body visible being her face.

But she seemed to receive an otherworldly divine inspiration and she turned back. The man turned to face her as her eyes glowed a pale blue and she began to speak a prophecy.

"Seek and ye shall find," she said, being possessed by some kind of otherworldly entity. "And when thou findst what thou seeketh, ye shall have no choice but to be betrayed. Know thy friends, and know that they are far worse enemies than any others."

With that, her normal eyes returned and she remained staring at the man. "What did I say?" she said, looking at the shocked expression on his face.

"Nothing… nothing at all," the man lied. "Nothing important. A waste of a prophecy. Go about your business, Therese." She nodded and began to leave, when she suddenly turned around again.

"Oh, and sir, those Saiyans you sent to extort information from the North Kai?"

"Yes?" the man replied. "Nappa and Raditz, I remember. What of them?"

"They disobeyed your orders, sir," she explained. "They used the Dragonballs to wish themselves back to the mortal plane and tried to cause chaos, but they were defeated by a band of Earth's fighters."

"Defeated?" he asked, startled. "But they're Super Saiyan 2s! How could anything on Earth be stronger than those?"

"I do not know, sir," Therese answered, shaking her head. "They appear to be extremely strong, and I would be surprised if any of them were entirely human."

"I see. Fools; they should not have betrayed me." He waved his hand. "Leave now, Therese, I have no further use for you at this time."

"I don't think you're getting the point, sir," she replied, adamant and unmoving. "The point is that there are much stronger beings on Earth than we had anticipated; beings that could easily take you and your crew down if they caught you without the crystal."

The man thought for a minute. "What of it? Whatever would drive them to come here? Even if they suspect there was something behind the Saiyans, they would never even have a clue to come searching for me at this isolated place out of the entire galaxy. They pose no threat to us."

"Perhaps you haven't noticed, sir," Therese continued, struggling to make herself clear, "But the crystal is a sacred artifact to the girl and her kind. I am most certain that she would have gained special abilities from coming in contact with it. Certainly, she could locate those warriors on Earth and plead for their help?"

"We don't know what kind of abilities she has, and finding those exact life forms in this vast galaxy is an extremely unlikely event," the man concluded. "I've had enough of your hypothetical wonderings. Now remove yourself from my presence or else you may force me to take action that I will regret later."

The prophet frowned but obeyed nonetheless. "As you wish, Master." She shut the door behind her and exited out into the long corridor. "Hypothetical wonderings," she repeated to herself. "How quickly he forgets that I can see the future."

Coming upon her quarters and entering, she sat down at her desk and lowered the computer screen in front of her face to continue her research on the crystal's whereabouts. "Hypothetical wonderings, indeed. For his sake, he had best find the crystal before those warriors from Earth arrive, or else we're all doomed."


	2. The Prince and the CEO

**Chapter II: The Prince and the CEO**

Boxer was at once frightened when he saw what had happened. A moment ago, he had been standing in his living room at the Capsule Corporation headquarters, now he was on some kind of airship. Not only that, but there were cream-colored clouds on every side of them and the sky looked to be a strange pink or orange. 

Shaking, he examined his own hand to find that it was translucent. His other hand, firmly grasping that of the Fighter Kai, was equally translucent. The Fighter Kai looked and gave him a translucent smile.

"Fighter Kai?" Boxer asked him. "What are we doing here? Why aren't we whole?"

"I'll answer," the Fighter Kai replied. "We are in the Next Dimension; the afterlife. To visit here, we must assume an ethereal form. I'm going to introduce you to a person whom I feel it is vital for you to meet."

There seemed to be only one man on deck; a fairly tall man with a bushy white mustache and spiky hair. He sported a plain white shirt, black vest, and black pants. Suddenly, the man looked up at Boxer and the Fighter Kai.

"Kai!" he cried out, and stood up, still keeping his hands firmly on the wheel. "What're you doing back here? I thought you went to the mortal plane. And who's your friend?"

"Boxer," he turned to face the young warrior. "This is my… friend, Gohan. Remember how Piccolo told you about the Z Fighters? This was one of the most powerful warriors in the universe."

Boxer turned towards Gohan, and bowed as best he could. It was difficult since he would not release his death grip on the Fighter Kai's hand. As Boxer stumbled to the ground, almost taking the Fighter Kai with him, the Fighter Kai finally released Boxer's hand.

"You don't have to keep holding on," he explained to Boxer. "My job here is done. I have brought you and now the rest is up to you. I hope you enjoy meeting your ancestor."

"Wait!" Boxer cried as the already-translucent Fighter Kai began to fade more. "Don't go!" He made a flying leap at the Fighter Kai and bit thin air.

"Don't worry too much about it," Gohan said to him. "That guy has this habit of disappearing at very inconvenient times. Anyway, you look familiar… do I know you?"

Boxer shook his head. "I don't think so. You're what, like a thousand years before my time?"

Gohan scratched his head in puzzlement. "Why would the Fighter Kai want to introduce you to me if you have nothing to do with me?"

Boxer shrugged. "I am now a defender of the Earth, according to the Fighter Kai. The five of us; Piccolo, 18, Garuda, the Fighter Kai, and myself are going to investigate the force behind the escape of Nappa and Raditz."

"You?" Gohan asked in amazement. "I don't understand. The fiends you face now must be stronger than the fiends that I faced a thousand years ago, and you are merely a human."

"Hmm," Boxer replied, ready to show Gohan something. "I am mostly just a human, but there is something you should know that I only recently learned." He clenched his hands into fists and let out a powerful cry.

A blazing red aura surrounded Boxer as he continued to power up an inordinate amount. There was a flash as Boxer reappeared with golden hair and green eyes. 

Gohan stared in wonder for a moment and then laughed. "Ah, now I know who you remind me of! You look just like Trunks… you must be a descendant of Vegeta!"

"Yes," Boxer replied. "I think that was the name that 18 mentioned. Can I meet Vegeta here?"

Just then, a woman came up from the cabin. "Hey, Gohan," she began, staring at Boxer, "Who's this guy and how did we pick him up? He sure doesn't look very dead to me."

"Boxer," he said, addressing the guest, "This is my wife, Videl."

"Oh?" Videl turned to Boxer and walked over to him, extending her hand. "It is a pleasure to meet you, Boxer."

Boxer tried to shake her hand, but his hand seemed to go right through hers. She laughed. "No big deal then," she shrugged and walked back towards Gohan. "You look familiar…"

"He is a descendant of Vegeta," Gohan explained to his wife. "And he has come here to meet his ancestor."

"Oh, I see," Videl understood. "Well, I suppose that I can probably rouse Vegeta from his sleep… after all, it's not like he can kill me."

With that she re-entered the cabin and Gohan addressed Boxer once more. "You know," he said, "You really shouldn't turn Super Saiyan unless Vegeta asks you to. He has something of a temper."

Boxer nodded and decreased his power level. His blue bowl-cut returned at once and he stood ethereal in a plaid shirt, jeans, and sneakers.

"You know," said Gohan, "You really don't look much like a Saiyan warrior."

Boxer shrugged. "I'm not sure how I would look otherwise. What did Vegeta wear?"

"In his prime, Vegeta wore Saiyan armor," Gohan explained, "Although I'm not sure if any is still in existence. You may just want to go with a jumpsuit or a gi. What you're currently wearing restricts your movement. Had you been properly equipped, you may have fared better in the battle… although I'm assuming you won anyway."

Boxer nodded. "Barely. We wouldn't have it if it wasn't for the Fighter Kai."

There was a sudden cry of a loud, raspy voice. "What do you think you're doing, woman? I was sleeping!"

"Would that be…?" Boxer began.

Gohan nodded. "That's Vegeta. He's in a bad mood too. I'd leave you two alone, but I have to pilot the ship, you know."

"That's just as well." Boxer seemed relieved. "I'm glad that you can be a mediator anyway."

"Hey!" Gohan shouted. "I can't promise that. I try not to mess with Vegeta. He's stronger than you can possibly imagine."

A man with spiky white hair that stood far upright came up the stairwell and stood before Boxer. He seemed to have a perpetually peeved aura about him: his face was creased with many years' worth of anger and frustration. 

He was not tall; shorter even than Boxer, but he stood perfectly erect and commanded respect with every action. He scanned the area, cautiously approached Boxer, and spoke at last.

"You!" he rasped. "Who are you and what are you doing here? Speak now!"

At once, Boxer lost all of his courage that he previously possessed. Feeling intimidated, he put one of his hands out where Vegeta couldn't see it and began powering up, but Gohan shot him a glance and mouthed "No." Boxer faced the angry warrior and spoke.

"My name is Boxer," he began. "I am here to make your acquaintance, Prince Vegeta. I was… born of your blood. Now, I will defend the Earth in your place."

Vegeta stared at him for a second, and then his face softened up and he laughed. "Hah! Is that the only reason you came here? Don't waste my time, Boxer. The Earth is no longer my concern. I am on a quest now, so if you have nothing important to say, please do not waste my time. Is that all you had to say?"

Boxer was speechless. The Fighter Kai must have offered this meeting for some reason, but Vegeta didn't seem to care at all. "I… uh…" Boxer stuttered, "I guess that's all I had to say. The Fighter Kai wanted me to meet you and…"

"The Kai?" the prince exclaimed. "Tell me about him, now! What do you know, punk? Tell me now!" Vegeta lunged towards him and tried to grab him by the shirt collar, impervious to the fact that he could not lay a finger on the warrior from Earth.

With a shout of surprise, Vegeta went plummeting off the side of the airship and disappeared into the clouds below. "Vegeta!" Boxer called, alarmed, and spun around to face Gohan. "Are you just going to keep flying the airship like nothing happened?"

Gohan shrugged. "Nothing did happen. Just watch."

Like a flash, Vegeta was standing back in front of Boxer. Although he could not physically hold the young warrior, his gaze was enough to keep Boxer in place. "Tell me… Boxer…" he said, trying to show respect enough to get Boxer to talk, "Tell me everything you know about the Kai. I have my suspicions, but I need you to confirm them for me."

"What's there to say?" Boxer replied. "He's a weird guy with sunglasses and a long cloak. He seems… uh… strong, if that's what you mean."

"Of course he's strong, you moron!" Vegeta shouted into Boxer's face. "What do you know otherwise?"

"I know that we're going to take a journey to save the Earth," Boxer kept going.

"Gah!" Vegeta cried. "Never mind. You're no use whatsoever. Go and save the stupid Earth or whatever you want to do. If you ever learn anything useful, come back and tell me. This was a waste of my time." Vegeta turned his back on the young CEO and retired back into the cabin.

"Vegeta…" Boxer said softly, but his thought was lost when the prince returned looking just as angry as when he came. He turned to face the less-emotional Saiyan warrior. "Gohan?" he asked.

"Sorry, Boxer," he apologized. "That's the way he is. He grows on ya, I guess, but his first impression leaves something to be desired. When I first met him, he was trying to kill me."

"Hmm, I see," Boxer replied. "Well, I guess I'll go… Vegeta was right about one thing; that meeting was a waste of time."

Gohan shook his head. "I don't know. I've found that all experiences have their values. I feel that this won't be your last meeting with Vegeta. Who knows; maybe he'll even come in handy one of these days."

"Right," Boxer agreed hurriedly, eager to get back to Earth and begin his adventure. "I should probably head out now… any ideas how?"

"Eh, nothing really good," Gohan admitted, "But you could try to fake death. If the Kai senses you're in trouble, he may come to your aid once more."

"I'm not sure how good of an idea that is," Boxer began shyly. "I mean, what if…"

Gohan suddenly veered the airship sharply to the right and tilted the deck, causing Boxer to inadvertently slip over the side. "Whoa!" he cried, and tried to grasp the airship railing, but fell straight through. Unable to sustain his own weight in flight in this alien realm, Boxer kept falling until suddenly…


	3. Her Name is Gemini

**Chapter III: Her Name is Gemini**

Boxer awoke to a flash of bright light, and suddenly felt somehow… whole again. He was lying slouched across an armchair and an ottoman in the living room; exactly where he had been before he took the Fighter Kai's hand. Piccolo, 18, Garuda, and the Fighter Kai all stood around him. 

"How did the meeting go?" 18 asked him.

Boxer sprang up suddenly, checking to make sure he was all there. "When did I get back here?" he exclaimed, surprised to still be alive.

The Fighter Kai frowned. "You gave me a warning that you wanted to come back… albeit a bad one. You must forgive Gohan; sometimes he is impulsive." He seemed wistful; lost in thought for just a moment and then returned to Boxer.

"Enough about that," he concluded. "You've met Vegeta, and now it's time to get underway. Boxer, how many space capsules does the corporation own?"

Boxer thought for a minute, and then produced the answer. "I think we have about five," he replied. "We have more at the warehouse if you need, but there hasn't been as big of a demand for them as we might have expected."

The Fighter Kai nodded. "Five is more than enough. We only need two."

"What do we even need that many for?" Piccolo asked. "One capsule can comfortably fit five people."

"This isn't going to be a luxury cruise to destinations unknown," the Fighter Kai explained. "We are on a mission, and we are going to train as such. Should it please his mentor, I would like to train Boxer personally. He has a lot of training to do to catch up with you three."

Piccolo thought for a moment. "Take him," he finally said, flicking his wrist. "He would only slow us down anyway. The three of us have a lot of training to do."

"Aw c'mon Piccolo," Boxer pleaded. "I thought I proved how strong I was!"

"Indeed you did," Piccolo replied. "However, your power was induced by rage alone. You have amazing potential, but you must learn how to control it. I won't have time to teach you. Presumably, whatever sent Nappa and Raditz must be considerably stronger than them, and that means we all must work unhindered."

"I guess I understand," Boxer relented, nodding. "I agree to go with the Fighter Kai and train, then."

"You have shown proficiency in training earlier on," 18 reminded him. "Don't let us down." She turned to the Fighter Kai. "What is your goal for Boxer?"

The Fighter Kai shrugged. "It matters more what his own personal goal is. I cannot push him farther than he is willing to go."

"I'm determined to go as far as I have to, Fighter Kai," Boxer promised. "Piccolo told me to train to avenge my parents. I won't stop until I find out who murdered them and he meets his end at my hand."

"Determined you are indeed, Boxer," the Fighter Kai acknowledged. "I can tell that your only wish is to defend your family's honor and bring justice to your deceased parents. But don't forget; there is more to martial arts than revenge, and revenge is an event that must be handled with the utmost of delicacy. I can tell that while you are willing to learn the ways of Kame-Sennin, you will require a great amount of mental and physical training."

"Whatever it takes," Boxer repeated.

"Good!" said the Fighter Kai. "Now, it's time to head out… if only we had a lead on where to go."

"That's a good point," Garuda said, finally joining the conversation. "We have absolutely no idea where to start looking for this menace. Basically, the only information we have on him is that he sent Nappa and Raditz to do something terrible to the Earth. It's a big galaxy out there. How do we even know where to start looking?"

"I tried to extort information from Raditz," the Fighter Kai admitted, "Although the ends hardly justified the means."

"I remember," Boxer said, recalling the close of the battle. "Raditz said something about revealing your true identity. Why is it a bad thing if we know?"

"It's uh…" the Fighter Kai stalled indefinitely, trying to think of a viable explanation. "It's not so much that it'd affect you, Boxer, but it may raise some questions that we just don't have time to answer right now. In good time, my identity will be revealed one way or another; I promise. But right now, things will run a lot more efficiently if you just know this much: I am the Fighter Kai, I am an advocate of all things just, and I will train you. The five of us will face a great evil together; I can sense it. We have no time to waste discussing such petty matters."

"That's right," Garuda agreed, seeming to be his only ally in this struggle. "We need some kind of lead in this case." He sat with his chin resting on his fist for a moment and then sprang up. "Hey, Fighter Kai!" he exclaimed.

"What's going on?" the Kai inquired.

"I know that all Kais have a special ability to see amazingly long distances telepathically. I assume that it applies to you as well?"

"Yes, it does," the Fighter Kai answered him. "However, scanning the entire galaxy would still consume in inordinate amount of time."

"You don't have to scan the whole galaxy," Garuda began. "You just have to search out a disturbance of some kind. Certainly, a fighter of your caliber should have little trouble discovering a disturbance in the natural balance of the galaxy?"

The Fighter Kai grinned. "None at all."

***

A comet appeared behind the Fighter Kai as he stood translucent against a starry background. He did not need to turn his head; he sensed this comet coming. Waiting until the last second, he tensed a muscle in his arm, and drew back slightly. The comet flew past him, leaving only a few specs of dust on his sunglasses. 

"You're here; I can sense you," he said to his invisible adversary. "Come out now; I'm not going to hurt you, I promise."

"I can't be sure," said the voice, which seemed to be coming from all around him. Still, he did not flinch. "I have many enemies."

"As do I, but I have no trouble distinguishing my friends from foes," the Fighter Kai explained. "Show yourself before you force me to show you. I can sense much about you, Gemini, and your time is ever-fleeting."

At last the phantom showed herself, translucent as well. Her purple hair flowed down to just past her shoulders, and her large blue eyes reflected the starlight. An illustrious black and purple robe flowed down past her feet, and she carried some kind of rod; a mage if the Fighter Kai had ever seen one. She stared at him questioningly.

"How do you know my name?" she asked him. "I never mentioned it. I wasn't even thinking about it if you can indeed read my mind." Her eyes narrowed for a moment and then resumed their circular positions. "You're wearing a very strong mental shroud. You anticipated that people would read your mind, didn't you?"

The Fighter Kai nodded and grinned. "I'm not sure what your impression of me is," he explained, "But I will tell you this; I've been around, Gemini. You are nothing new to me. I am one of the ablest fighters in the universe, and I have been honing my skills for quite a while."

She snickered. "And yet you don't try to misuse your powers for dark deeds. Interesting."

"That is the kind of display of power you have experienced," the Fighter Kai noted. "I understand more of you than you think. Don't underestimate me."

"I won't again," she acknowledged.

"Well then," the Fighter Kai continued, "Enough with the pleasantries. I am going to come with a band of fighters from Earth, and we are going to rescue you. You are connected with… some kind of dark force, and I have reason to believe that this dark force was behind a series of events on Earth."

"Yet you cannot put a name on this dark force?" she asked. "You seemed stronger than that."

"Evil works in mysterious ways," he stated. "I only understand a mind completely that works similar to my own. I will tell you this, though; you are in grave danger, Gemini, and my band and I must make haste if we are to recover you from this man's clutches and defeat him. It was nice to meet you; I shall see you in reality as soon as possible."

She nodded. "I'm sure I don't need to remind you," she began, just before the Fighter Kai left, "But please make all possible haste. I don't know how much longer my captor plans to let me live."

"You were right." The Fighter Kai turned around. "You didn't have to remind me." Their ethereal phantoms faded as they returned to their respective mortal prisons.

***

When the Fighter Kai returned from his trance, he did so much more gracefully than Boxer. Instead of literally falling over and being slumped across an armchair, he simply let up an orange aura from around him and blinked his eyes, as they turned from glassy to alert.

Garuda laughed and turned to Boxer. "You'll have to learn how to do that, kid. You were a bit sloppy, huh?"

"Yeah, right… whatever…" Boxer mumbled, staring towards the floor.

"Hey, don't worry about a thing, kid," Garuda hit him playfully on the shoulder. "Before you know it, you'll be meditating like a pro."

"Eh, hopefully," Boxer smiled. "It's not gonna be the greatest of my worries."

"You'd be surprised what you pick up while training," Garuda reassured him.

The Fighter Kai finally stood and addressed Boxer. "What Garuda says is true. Personally I… have heard of cases where people have gained powers of mind reading."

Boxer nodded. "That'd be an interesting skill to possess."

"There have been some interesting theories of what kind of extra abilities you can learn," the Fighter Kai told him. "Some believe that it reflects what kind of training you undertake. Others argue that special skills are learned based on character traits. There are whole charts available in some of the advanced martial arts books."

"Sounds interesting," Boxer said, seeming genuinely fascinated. "What kind of traits do you think I'd pick up?"

"It depends on what you think of the theories," the Kai replied. "I could give you a million different answers, but what I believe it comes down to is what you are best suited to learn; whether that means the sort of training you do, the kind of devotion to your training you have, or what kind of person you are. We'll see what kind of fighting style you end up having and continue on from there."

He paused for a moment and checked the clock on the wall. "Time is unforgiving and we have a girl to save and a madman to stop."

"A what?" 18 asked. "Why didn't you tell us any of this?"

Piccolo put a hand on her shoulder. "Later, 18. It is unimportant now. Time is running out, and evil seldom waits to be challenged. Garuda!" he called.

"I'm ready," he said, cracking his whip like lightning in the air. "Shall we head out?"

"Lead on, 18," Piccolo commanded. "After all, you know your way around this complex. Take us to the space capsules." She nodded as she and the Otherworld guardian exited.

"Boxer," he addressed his student, and Boxer turned to meet his gaze. "Train hard. Don't let this go to your head but…" the Namek chose his words carefully, as not to sugar coat his statement but not to undermine its importance either. "You are a vital member of this team. Don't forget that you're a true warrior now; you must prove your own strength in a variety of ways."

"I think I understand, Piccolo." Boxer considered his mentor's statement carefully. "I get it. What I've done is impressive, but I can't stop there. I have to fend for myself, and I have to train hard to do so."

"No use rephrasing what I just said," Piccolo scolded gently. "You can decipher it for yourself. Just a little advice you might want to hang on to." With that he turned, his cape fluttering in the wind, and disappeared.

Boxer spun to face the Fighter Kai again, and looked up into his sunglass-blocked eyes. "I am ready, Fighter Kai," he stated. "I am ready to go and begin my training."

"I must ask a favor of you, then," the Fighter Kai asked sincerely.

"Sure, anything," Boxer relented, eager to begin his training.

"This isn't my organization," the Fighter Kai started and looked a little embarrassed. "Show me to the space capsules, OK?"

Boxer opened his mouth in a crooked position and shifted his eyes as if to say something, and then just exhaled quickly. "Right this way."


	4. Therese

**Chapter IV: Therese**

A prophet's life was not easy, especially that of a prophet in service of a man whom she despised. Therese sighed as she gave up her computer search, exhausted. She checked her clock, trying to calculate how many hours she had devoted to this fruitless search.

"As of now," she said, rubbing her reddened eyes, "I have devoted 1074 hours to this search, and haven't come up with a single clue. Perhaps I'd better talk to that girl. She'd provide more answers than ancient legends anyway."

She stood suddenly, and fell just as suddenly. Her legs quivered beneath her black robe; she was physically and mentally exhausted. "It's no use," she finally yielded to her exhaustion. "Even a prophet needs her rest."

She mentally flipped the switch to disable the computer monitor and it ascended back into the ceiling from whence it came. Yawning once more, Therese propped herself up on her bed, and covered herself up, having just enough energy to take her hood down, allowing her long black hair to move freely. It was not in its usual lustrous state, however; rather, it was mussed from her day's work and unrelenting stream of sweat. Therese worked diligently and got little reward for her toils.

Utilizing her mental capabilities, she dimmed the lights around her and began to settle into her bed. Less than a moment later, her eyes sprung open. "The girl!" she gasped. "That fool," she cursed. "He is going to kill her when she is the one last hope for that crystal."

She rose and sat down on her bedside, her legs dangling a bit. "He said that he would give her twenty-four hours to give information before he killed her." She gritted her teeth. "That moron! He is destroying his one chance at his goal, and somehow, I will be the one to blame." 

She got up and walked towards her door like a drunkard; she was exhausted physically, but she was mentally rejuvenated. "Idiot!" she cried, nearing her goal. "Moron! Bastard! Damnable fool!" She laid her hand on the door handle

"I have had enough of this!" she groaned hoarsely. "He doesn't respect me at all. I… I…" She was grasping the door handle so hard that she had drawn a steady stream of blood from a small piece of metal that had been sticking out.

Therese fell to her knees and fought back tears. "I… I…" she muttered. "He took me from my home when I was but a child… he thinks I am his most trusted confidant, but he just uses me for my abilities and works me half to death. What he does is terrible and unforgivable but…" she paused. "I am powerless to stop it. Once he has the crystal, he will undoubtedly use it to increase his power far beyond what I can match. I may be strong now because of my training and my exposure to the crystal, but…" she paused.

Slowly, she rose, and finally a few tears fell. Tearing a strip of cloth from her cloak and tying it around the cut in her hand, she grasped the door handle once more, and smiled widely; it was not a sneaky smile of any sort, rather, it was one of pure happiness. 

She dashed out into the hallway and threw her cloak to the ground, revealing her seemingly skimpy leather armor underneath. A black bustier covered some of her chest and tied around the back, while a short pair of leather shorts adorned her waist. Other than that, she wore shoes and ported a quarter staff. Her black hair flowed behind her in a stream as she pounded her muscular but thin legs across the floor. 

Groping around for her quarter staff, she finally secured it and extended it into a full-size quarter staff and held it one hand. "It's so simple," she thought. "He may become amazingly powerful after he is exposed to the crystal, but until then, he is weaker than I. I will murder him now and right all of his wrongs."

A group of guards approached her as she neared her master's room. "Halt at once, Mistress!" the leader cried. "The Master has specifically requested no guests; not even you!"

"Shut up!" she shouted. In the blink of an eye, she spun around and threw her staff out in front of her. Performing a flip in midair, she proceeded to successfully bash all of the guards at once right in the chest, making them bend down and gasp for air.

She landed flawlessly behind them, right in front of the door to her master's private quarters. "I am determined to see him," she said, without turning around. "I suggest you let me through."

"Now," she continued to no one in particular, "It's time to end this. The door is probably locked, so I'll have to employ a little energy combat. Double Helix Beam!" 

The Double Helix Beam was Therese's own patented energy attack. She had worked for many years to perfect it, and she believed it was about as peaked as it would get. First, she would cross her arms and charge up. Concentrating equal energy into both arms, she would then fire two orange ribbons of energy that would intersect and create ball-shaped energy particles between them, effectively making a sort of DNA strand energy blast. The two energy ribbons would paralyze the target for a moment, and the balls would connect into one beam and fire directly into the target's chest. One of the nicer things about this attack was that she could decide the intensity of it. If Therese had wanted to, she could have effectively destroyed the whole ship with one blast. However, it only required a quick, weak blast to break down a door.

The metal door fell easily to Therese's blast. She burst into the room, quarter staff in one hand and a look of anger on her face. "It's over, Alexander!"

Alexander was the Master of the ship, and one of the most corrupt people in the galaxy. His quarters were surprisingly small; he felt that there was no great need for something extravagant. He was always more comfortable in small places. Coward he was, he thought that large spaces may possess threats of people to hide, or some such nonsense.

He smiled and rose from the armchair he sat at beside his bed. Perhaps fifteen feet across there was a window out into space and a doorway into the bathroom at the other wall by his chests and mirror. It was comfortably carpeted, but Therese had no time to notice the décor. She was possessed by rage and held out her staff boldly before her.

"It is your time to die," she stated, tears of rage flowing down her face. "Your terrible deeds are about to catch up with you, and your just reward is in order."

"Tsk, tsk," he laughed and stood. "Therese, Therese… why must you rebel? I favored you so over my other subordinates. You were my right hand man… or woman, should I say?" 

"Plug it, Alexander," she snarled. "I was foolish to fear what you might become, but now I realize that I cannot sit idly by. Over the years, I have become stronger than you could ever become. I have become stronger than any normal human because of my exposure to the crystal. Meanwhile, you have remained weak and fearful, supposing that the crystal would do all the work for you."

She gritted her teeth and continued. "You don't stand a chance, and I'm not afraid of you anymore! I challenge you, Alexander! Prepare to meet your maker!"

"Hah!" Alexander let out a great bellow. "Poor Therese… you just don't know what you're up against, do you?" He wore only a long white robe with a belt around the front, and his curly blond hair stood up a bit. Indeed, this was probably as dressed for battle as he would ever get; did he anticipate Therese's coming?

Therese continued, undaunted. "I know exactly what I'm up against," she growled. "I'm up against a weakling coward. I bet you didn't expect to face your death from me?"

"Therese," he smiled and moved past her, his robe brushing against her unclothed skin, "I may seem blind to you, but I'm not stupid. I know you despise me, and with good reason. I've been anything but kind to you. However…" he paused, without turning to face her, "I don't care. You are nothing to me, and now you are nothing compared to me. If you want a battle, let's have one."

She crouched and held out her staff while Alexander turned around. "Have at you!" he cried, and they leapt towards each other.

Therese never let Alexander's words get to her head. She very easy dodged his puny blow and struck him in the back with her staff. She was merely toying with him; she could have easily shattered his neck if she had so desired.

Alexander struck the ground with full force and skidded across the carpet. He laughed. "You are stronger than I thought, Therese," he commented. "Another round, then?"

"If you wish," she said, facing him and smiling. Alexander dashed towards her and this time ducked to try to swipe her feet from under her. She easily flew up into the air and flew above him, easily striking him in the chest with her staff, causing him to slide into the doorframe, almost right out the door. Therese landed gracefully back on the spot where she had stood before.

"Delusional bastard," she commented. "I don't know why you thought you could beat me. Your overconfidence is apparently one of your downfalls. I'm through playing with you, Alexander. I think you've outlived your usefulness."

"Wait…" he muttered.

"Why should I?" she asked, still with a death grip on her staff. "Give me one good reason."

With no small amount of effort, Alexander pulled himself to his feet and took an object out of his pocket. Dangling on a woman's pendant was… no! It couldn't be!

"The… the…" Therese gasped.

Alexander laughed. "The girl had it all along. Apparently, she's some kind of royalty and she wanted to give her heirloom to me instead of have her planet destroyed. Naïve fool; I was going to destroy the planet either way."

Therese's eyes went wide at this statement. "You can't!" she shouted passionately. "That planet is my home. My family, my friends… you would kill them all in cold blood? You have what you want! Why spite the girl and destroy innocent lives?"

"There's simply no reason not to," he laughed. "The bloodshed… the horror… the look on the girl's face… it'd all be so worth it."

"Stop!" Therese cried. "I've heard enough!" She tensed her muscles and gripped her staff harder than she ever had before. "You will die now before any more lives are lost!"

She powered up as an orange aura surrounded her and caused her hair to stand on end. After she had powered up as quickly as she could, she flew towards Alexander, but it was too late. He held up the crystal and let a whitish aura surround him. Therese was blown back and her staff landed far off and rolled under the bed. It wasn't worth the time to get it; she'd have to rely on her fists from here on in.

Alexander beefed up his muscle mass and became a much broader and defined human. This was his second form, although it was arguably not too different from his first. Like Therese had thought, the crystal would allow him to undergo transformations. Now standing at 7' or perhaps more, he overshadowed Therese's size by a good foot and a half.

"I'm not intimidated by you," she claimed boldly. "You don't know how to control your power." She deftly flew up to him and landed a strong punch directly into his chest. Somehow, Alexander had been stupid enough to figure this wouldn't damage him, and as a result, was completely unprepared, going flying back and smashing against the doorframe again.

"What…" he asked, in a voice that was deeper than his usual voice, but not anything otherworldly just yet. As he picked his head up, he saw Therese flying towards him once more. She stuck her foot out and kicked him upside the head while doing a flip and nimbly flying backwards before Alexander had a chance to catch her.

"I can't let you hurt people!" she shouted. "This ends now! Double Helix Beam!" She concentrated almost all of her energy into this attack, determined not to let Alexander become any more powerful. 

Intelligently, she had never let Alexander see her use this attack, and he was surprised. Just as he stood, he found himself paralyzed. "No!" he cried.

"Yes!" Therese responded. "Now… die!" The balls of energy formed into a single beam and all headed right for Alexander's chest.

Much to Therese's surprise, it blasted right back at her, and she put up her arms just in time. She had nullified the blast, but much of her energy was used up. "Damn it," she remarked, as she saw that Alexander has strung the crystal around his neck. "The crystal is not easily destroyed."

"Therese," Alexander said, ready to transform again if necessary, "Please don't make me have to kill you. You are quite useful to me. I wouldn't want to see anything happen to such an irreplaceable brat." 

Therese desperately wanted to keep fighting, but she knew it was useless. The crystal was a holy object from her own planet of origin, meaning that Therese knew of its immense powers. Could she have brought Alexander down? Maybe, but she would certainly not be able to if she was dead. 

She lowered her power level and mentally summoned her staff back to her hand. After retracting it and placing it back in the strap around her shorts, she sighed and lowered her shoulders. "How did you know that I would fight you? I should have been able to catch you by surprise and destroy you easily."

"Simple," Alexander said as he resumed his previous form, and obviously had to restrain from bursting out into laughter. "You said so yourself. It was in one of your prophecies. You said I would be betrayed by a friend; well, the closest thing I have to a friend is you, so naturally, you would betray me. I knew I had to be ready."

"Despicable bastard…" she grumbled. "You WILL meet your end. I will see to it personally."

"Try; please do!" he challenged. "It will be fun to see you fall, Therese the Unfaithful! Therese the Betrayer! Therese the Bitch!"

She gritted her teeth and almost powered up again, but realized she was helpless. "You have what you want," she eventually said. "Don't kill the girl. After you destroy my planet, she'll be all I have left."

"I wouldn't dream of it," he agreed. "I want to see her suffer when I destroy her planet. Then, she'll be a useful servant to me, such as you have become."

"As long as she doesn't die," Therese acknowledged, feeling slightly relieved. "I should like to see her now."

"Be gone," Alexander commanded, waving his hand. "I have no further use for you at this time."

Knowing that she had lost, Therese trudged down into the brig and used her keycard to open the girl's cell.

She was sitting on her bench/bed and reading a book that she had apparently smuggled on. When she heard the door open, she curiously tilted her head upwards. "I sensed that you weren't the Master," she explained, "So I should like to know who you are."

"My name is Therese," the Mistress introduced herself. "I'm the second-in-command here, and an attempted assassin of the Master, Alexander." 

"Ah, you don't like him either?" she asked, and cracked a smile. "Oh!" she exclaimed and seemed embarrassed. "My name is Gemini."

"I know," Therese said. "I'm a little older than you and not nearly as famous, but I am of the same planet, my princess." She bowed, and then noticed that she was still half-naked. "Ah, if you will pardon my attire, that is," she said, and cracked a half-smile. "I just came back from my battle with Alexander."

Gemini seemed interested. "Tell me about it," she requested. "Please. I'd like to know what happened? Am I still condemned to die?"

"No," Therese said, "but it doesn't matter. You are condemned to Alexander's service for as long as you live, such as I am."

This caused Gemini to smile. "I don't think so. I've arranged a meeting with a bunch of warriors from Earth."

Therese nodded and smiled as well. "I believe I know the fighters that you are talking about it. No doubt they are strong but… but Alexander has the crystal now."

"I know," Gemini said, and the smile quickly drained from her face. "I had to surrender it to him. I had to save my planet."

At the mention of this, Therese felt sick to her stomach. "I…" she began. "I don't want to cause you to lose sleep, and I deserve some myself. I'll talk to you tomorrow…" she said, and her eyes welled with tears as she left and locked Gemini's door again.

"What will happen now?" she asked herself, as she wandered back to her quarters and tried in vain to sleep. At last, she drifted into a restless and troubled slumber.


	5. The Quest Continues

**Chapter V: The Quest Continues**

Vegeta scanned the horizon until the cave's entrance became apparent. "Finally," he grumbled. "Sure took long enough. That dragon's information was too cryptic for my tastes. Glad that Gohan could figure it out."

"Land ho!" he cried from atop the crow's nest. "Bring her down, Gohan!"

Gohan looked up and nodded, acknowledging the comment. "Aye, sir." He gently tilted the wheel downward and they began a slow descent towards a flat piece of ground that seemed to be suspended in midair as a cliff before the cave's vast entrance.

Videl and Bulma ascended the flight of stairs from the cabin of the _Immortals in Death. "Have we made it?" Videl asked._

"As far as I can see," Gohan explained. "I followed Shenron's advice as closely as possible." 

Vegeta flew down from the crow's nest and landed in front of the two women. "I don't think we really could have come anyplace else. This is the only cave out here as far as I know. Come on, let's get moving."

Impatient as usual, he grabbed Bulma under one arm and Videl under the other and flew clear out of the airship and onto the platform, despite the fact that it would have taken no longer than thirty seconds for Gohan to effectively land the ship with all of its passengers. 

Vegeta landed on the cold stone  and dropped the women rather unceremoniously. "Let's see what's in this cave," he said, pushing on ahead of them.

"Kind husband you've got yourself," Videl complained as she and Bulma stood.

"Yeah, I know," she muttered. "Ain't he something?"

Gohan gently brought the airship down gently and then quickly leapt right over Videl and Bulma to join Vegeta. Videl opened her mouth to say something, but then just sighed. "Boys will be boys."

Vegeta and Gohan stood at the mouth of the cave and stared in. "I can't see a thing!" Gohan exclaimed. "How are we supposed to see in there?"

"Watch and learn!" Vegeta boasted. "Gallic Gun… Fire!" Vegeta threw a powerful energy blast into the cave, but it barely illuminated anything, and it seemed to be absorbed in the darkness.

"Hmm," Gohan noted. "It seems that Shenron called it 'darkness unending' for a reason."

All of a sudden, Vegeta's blast impacted something and there was a bright burst of light that lit the cave for a brief while. Gohan noted all details as quickly as he could; the cave did not narrow, rather, it stayed as wide as the grand cave mouth. He looked as far down the cave as he could see, but could see no visible end, but instead… what?

There was some kind of outline of a huge… thing. It was probably some kind of rock formation, but it couldn't be… it groaned after it was hit by the blast. 

"Vegeta," he turned to his companion, "I think you just hit something that's very much alive."

"I'm not blind!" he yelled and kept his eyes focused in the darkness. "We're going to have to fight it."

"I sense it too," Gohan agreed. "Its intentions are hostile."

"I'll help!" Videl offered, running up beside Gohan. "Just tell me what to do and…"

"Take Bulma and get onto the airship. Take off and watch the battle from a distance." Gohan didn't even turn around to face his wife. He just continued to stare into the darkness sensing the impending threat.

"But Gohan…" she protested.

"You could no more face this being than you could have faced Cell!" he shouted defensively. "Go now!"

She considered protesting more until she heard the creature roar once more and realized that Gohan was probably right. "Fine," she consented. "You win."

Flying towards Bulma, she made a swoop and grabbed Vegeta's wife, landing both of them safely into the airship.

"It's like people think I can't walk or something!" Bulma cried indignantly as she manned the wheel of the airship and took off, then hovering at a comfortable altitude over the platform. The two women watched as the creature finally emerged.

Gohan and Vegeta backed up to allow it room to exit the cave. By Earth or Vegeta's standards, the creature was alien in every way. However, Gohan, studious as he was, recognized it immediately.

The lion's head was quite well balanced on the goat's body it was situated on. A snake's head protruded form its backside. "Chimera," Gohan whispered. A creature of ancient Greek mythology, it somehow made sense that Earth's afterlife had one. After all, no one took ancient mythology seriously anyway.

"What did you call it?" Vegeta demanded as he continued to back away, allowing the enormous creature to absorb an inordinate amount of space. 

"It's called a chimera!" Gohan shouted back, his voice rising from the surge of adrenaline he was feeling. "It's a mythological creature from ancient times."

"Not quite so mythological now, is it!" Vegeta spat at him.

The chimera at last showed its full enormous body. It overshadowed Gohan and Vegeta immensely; it was the size of a good-sized house. The lion's head stuck out and sniffed the air. It growled cautiously and the serpent's head came forth to speak.

"I am the Chimera King," it said bluntly. "Why have you come here? State your reason or leave."

Vegeta, still captivated by the creature, was unable to respond. Gohan, therefore, stepped forth. "O great king of chimeras," he addressed it, "My name is Gohan! Perhaps you have heard of my band of fighters, the Z Fighters?"

The lion's head sniffed the air again, but this time got quite close to Gohan to smell him and Vegeta close up. "Yes… I see," the Chimera King responded. "You are indeed Gohan and Vegeta. You seek the sacred water and Goku, do you not?"

"I do," Gohan replied. "Might we find one or the other through this cave?"

"You may," it explained. "I give no guarantee. I myself have never been through the cave. I merely guard the entrance."

"May we pass, then?" Gohan asked.

"Yes," the Chimera King said. "Under one condition though."

"Hah, let me guess!" Vegeta finally spoke. "You want us to best you in combat?"

"Aye, you guess well," it complemented Vegeta. "We are all dead, so this may make things difficult." It pointed to the halo above its own head with a hoof. "So let's make it quick and simple. The first party to bleed will be declared the loser."

"Sounds fair, actually," Gohan remarked. "We have advantage of numbers, but we also have the disadvantage of numbers; if either one of us bleeds, you win, but there are two of us against one of you."

"I am not an unfair guardian," the Chimera King explained. "King Yemma appoints only the finest warriors as guardians. Those of no honor have no place as guardians."

"Of that I have no doubt." Gohan smiled. "Already I consider you a worthy adversary."

"As I, you, Gohan," it agreed.

"Whatever!" Vegeta exclaimed, obviously eager to begin the battle. "Let's get this over with."

"As you wish," the Chimera King relented.

The serpent jerked towards the two Saiyans, but they leapt aside into two different directions. Vegeta and Gohan quickly flew to each other directly above the Chimera King to quickly conspire.

Vegeta seemed to have a plan, so Gohan let him go ahead with it. "Listen, Gohan, here's the plan: you keep him busy somehow and I will try out a new technique I've been working on. It's similar to Krillin's Destructo Disk, but it will be able to move much more rapidly and pierce ever the Chimera King's leathery hide. There's no guarantee it'll work, so if it doesn't, we meet here again. Got it?"

Gohan nodded and flew in front of the Chimera King's lion face without a word. Vegeta ascended to a higher altitude and began to power up.

"Hey, over here, feline!" Gohan cried to the lion's head, and it roared at him. It struck at him quickly with a hoof, but the half-Saiyan back flipped in midair, avoiding the damage. While a hoof may not seem all that intimidating, the chimera's were razor sharp, and Gohan was aware of this. He would not let his guard down.

Sweat poured down Vegeta's forehead as he concentrated all of his energy into almost solid objects. He envisioned the disks slicing through the Chimera King easily, and made the edges as sharp as he possibly could. Using up a great deal of his energy, the disks were almost ready. He prepared to fire.

Meanwhile, Gohan was not having good luck dodging the hooves. All at once, the serpent would try to bite him, the goat would strike with his hooves, and the lion would thrash with his teeth. Gohan's clothes were getting ripped, but he _couldn't bleed. He would not forsake a thousand years of searching for one drop of blood._

"It's done!" Vegeta cried, and Gohan wanted to look up to see, but he just sensed instead. He couldn't let his eye of the Chimera King for an instant. "Let's do this!" he heard Vegeta call again. "Double-Edge Disk, engage!"

Gohan sensed the disk coming towards the Chimera King and great speed and quickly zoomed above the head of the Chimera King to float beside Vegeta and witness the blades take effect. 

The Chimera King quickly looked upwards and saw the disk coming right for it. The serpent reached its neck out as far as it would go… and caught the disc in its mouth!

"I knew it, I knew it!" Vegeta shouted with rage. "I knew I made it too solid. This isn't a safe tactic. I shouldn't use it again until it's perfected."

"Watch out!" Gohan shouted and pushed Vegeta out of the way and then ducked himself. The Chimera King had hurled it back towards the two Saiyans, but it went flying endlessly into the air behind them instead thanks to Gohan's quick thinking. 

"Vegeta, I know this statement is not going to sound a lot like me," Gohan started, "But we don't have a choice. This battle is too fast-paced for strategy. We need to rely on pure speed. Catch my drift?"

Vegeta smirked. "I think so. Super Saiyan 2, then?"

"Right," Gohan accepted. "We're both gonna go for speed, and then when I've got him pinned down, you go for pure power and hit him with something close up."

"A simple task!" Vegeta confirmed. "Let's do this."

They quickly powered up as their irises turned a pale green and their grayed hair stood up on end and turned a rich golden color. As Super Saiyan 2s, they powered up further until they were sure they'd be faster than the Chimera King and then proceeded to do their work.

Gohan once again flew in front of the Chimera King and distracted the lion's head. Even with teeth and hooves, there was no way the Chimera King could keep up with the original Super Saiyan 2. Just for fun, Gohan landed a few kicks, but his sneakers did little damage against the leathery hide of the Chimera King.

Vegeta, meanwhile, kept the serpent busy. While it was extremely flexible, Vegeta was just too fast for it. He gracefully back flipped across the body and then went right under the snake's neck. This caused the serpent to tie itself into a knot, effectively limiting its movement.

Gohan sensed this at once and knew it was time to strike. He flew backwards and prepared an attack. Vegeta, knowing what Gohan was planning, quickly covered his eyes with his gloved hand.

"Solar Flare!" the half-breed shouted and at once, there was a burst of light from sources unknown (after all, there was no sun in Otherworld). The Chimera King was not expecting extraneous tactics to make it bleed, and it cried out in frustration as its eyes closed on their own lest they be blinded.

"Now I will make you bleed!" The Saiyan prince laid his hand on the Chimera King's leathery skin and made a very finely concentrated energy attack in a slashing motion.

When the chaos had cleared, Gohan and Vegeta once again stood before the Chimera King, still as Super Saiyans. The serpent unwound itself and stared at the side of the goat's body. A steady steam of blood flowed out of the wound that Vegeta had inflicted.

The serpent looked at it, and at once healed itself up. It then stared at the two Saiyans, not anywhere near their maximum power and still ready for more. Not only that, but they were entirely unscathed.

"I have never had the privilege of fighting warriors of your caliber before," the Chimera King admitted, without any shame. "You are indeed worthy to pass. Not many have passed me before, and I know not of any who have actually found the Fountain of Revival. I have faith that if anyone can do it, it's you two."

"You are an honorable opponent, true to your word," Gohan complimented, and he and Vegeta bowed. "We will collect our wives and move on."

"Whenever you are ready," the Chimera King said and moved back into the cave to resume its sleep. 

Bulma was already landing the airship, seeing that they had won the battle, and she and Videl jumped out of the ship. Videl at once embraced Gohan.

"You did it, Gohan!" she congratulated, bright-eyed. "Now we can complete the journey. What we seek is close."

"I hope so," Gohan said, but in actuality, he no longer cared about the Water of Revival. What he sought above all else was to find Goku. If he could have his father back, everything else seemed secondary. 

After all, even in his current state, he had just defeated a creature that made the ancient peoples, able warriors in their own right, fear for their very lives. He could still turn Super Saiyan, and he was still one of the strongest beings in existence.

On the other hand, all guardians he met seemed to honor Goku greatly, as did Gohan. Even Vegeta must have missed having a rival, and Chi-Chi may have been hit hardest of all. For all of his friends, Gohan wanted to find Goku, whereas he felt the Water of Revival would have been only to suit his personal interests.

"Well, let's not waste any time," Vegeta said, taking lead of the group once more. "Time to proceed into darkness unending. Ready?"

The three others of the fellowship nodded. "Ready," they verified his statement.

With that, the four of them entered the cave and walked past the Chimera King. Videl held up a small ball of energy, but they could only see the light of each other's faces. She wondered if Gohan and Vegeta could sense the cave; maybe they didn't have to physically see it to know the layout. She could only hope.


	6. Old Moves and New Tricks

**Chapter VI: Old Moves and New Tricks**

"Are you sure this is positively necessary?" Boxer asked the Fighter Kai as he continued to perform the odd task. "I mean, I'm not exactly sure how this is going to help my performance in battle."

Boxer was doing a handstand and mentally balancing about ten glasses of water in a pure circular position at about the same level as his airborne feet. By concentrating very hard mentally, he was making the water lift out of the glasses and then move into the next glass, making sure not to spill a drop on the floor. Boxer was sweating profusely and all the muscles around his eyes ached. He was working extremely hard on something that seemed relatively unimportant.

"Don't forget, Boxer," the Fighter Kai told him, "That your mental energies are just as important as your physical energies. I'm going to show you how this works after you are done with this exercise; I believe that training without seeing the results is just as pointless as not training at all."

This caused Boxer to smile. "I like your philosophy. Where'd you come up with that?"

"I've been fighting for quite some time now," he replied. "Between my own training and my students, I've learned a few techniques about how training should be done."

Boxer had lost concentration while talking with the Fighter Kai, but quickly resumed it when he saw one of the glasses beginning to falter. "Keep to your task," the Fighter Kai told him. "You will lose your concentration by trying to talk. Keep that in mind for battle too."

Boxer nodded, although it made the blood rush around in his upside-down head; an unpleasant sensation. He continued repositioning the water, the pain in his muscles becoming unbearable. He simply ignored it and continued the exercise.

After what seemed like an eternity, the Fighter Kai grabbed a glass and spoke to Boxer. "That's enough," he said, and took the glasses under his own mental control. "Here," he said, offering the glass of water to Boxer, who proceeded to gladly accept it. 

While he gulped down the glass without breathing, the Fighter Kai threw him a towel, and he caught it with his free hand, wiping away his sweat. Putting down the empty glass, he took off his undershirt and leaned back against the towel, closing his eyes and still breathing heavily.

"How do you feel?" the Kai asked him.

"Like I want to rest for a while," the young warrior responded. "I'm just exhausted."

The Fighter Kai helped him stand up. "Rest is good, but remember, your primary goal here is to train."

Without any warning, the Kai back flipped and quickly launched a flying kick at Boxer, who quickly grabbed the Kai's foot and threw him down behind him. The Kai got up and laughed.

"Good!" he commented. "You're exhausted but you won't let your reflexes go. Do you understand why mental alertness is so important now?"

Boxer, who had barely been aware of what just happened, turned behind him and took in what had just happened. "I… I just threw you down without thinking?"

The Fighter Kai nodded. "This is an important part of your training. Mental acuity will allow you to think while on your feet. Against a powerful foe, you will not have time to plan out strategy while resting. You must fight and think at the same time. When you train it into your system to defend yourself, you can think separately. Quite possibly, I've just taught you a skill that will save your life. I know it's saved mine many times."

Boxer nodded and turned around, sighing. A second later, he flipped forward and flew backwards through the Fighter Kai's legs, standing and preparing an energy attack. 

"Kamehameha!" he quickly chanted, and fired a beam of light directly into the Fighter Kai. When the dust cleared, the Fighter Kai had not done so much as blinked. He merely had one hand out but… Boxer had managed to burn away his glove and see a trickle of blood dripping from his palm.

The Fighter Kai stared at his bloodied hand and smiled. "You're getting better," he complimented. "Your training will be complete soon; I sense it. 18 was right; you continually show proficiency in training." He seemed lost in thought for a second. "How far can I take you?" he asked, however, he seemed to be asking himself. "How long will it be before I have nothing else to teach you? What is the source of your power… and why does it allow you to advance so quickly? Am… am I…?" he trailed off and then turned back towards to Boxer, returning his mental focus to the training at hand.

"I have a gift for you, Boxer," he continued, resuming their conversation. "However, before I present it to you, you must do something for me. Quite simple for one such as you, really."

"Sure," Boxer agreed. "Anything. I think I'm up to it. Besides, I'm sure that this gift will help me save that girl."

"Oh yes," the Fighter Kai said. "It may not seem like much when I give it to you, but you can't do without it. Anyway, I'm sure you want to know how you can get this gift. So, here's the task: turn Super Saiyan 2."

"Super Saiyan 2?" Boxer asked quizzically. "That's what Nappa and Raditz were. It seemed like they had a lot of advantages; they can adjust their abilities at will, right?"

The Fighter Kai nodded. "That's right," he confirmed. "It's extremely useful, especially when used effectively. No doubt in the battles yet to come, it will be indispensable. Just turn Super Saiyan 2 and prove that you are worthy of my gift, and it will be yours."

"So, how would I go about turning Super Saiyan 2, then?" Boxer inquired, eager to receive his gift.

"Well, it's quite simple really," the Kai began, but quickly stopped himself as if he were saying something wrong. "It's simple, from what I've seen," he picked up nervously and then continued. "Focus your energies; every fiber of your being. Anger, determination, and will must come together, along with sheer power. It's similar to a transformation to Super Saiyan, but everything must be amplified. I know it is possible to achieve this level through training alone, but it is a lot easier to become a Super Saiyan 2 when self-preservation is required. Therefore, I suggest we do battle. I won't kill you; I promise."

"If that's the best way," Boxer nodded, and proceeded to attack the Fighter Kai.

***

18 side-kicked fluidly towards Garuda, who then ducked and lashed out against Piccolo. The Namek proceeded to bend over and swipe 18 from the ankles, but she recovered quickly, somersaulting forward and trying to elbow Garuda in the back. It was a truly artistic, if not taxing display of martial artistry, but even though not a single hit could be landed, the three warriors were getting much stronger; the fact that they could not hit each other while having to mind two other warriors was perfect evidence of that.

Finally, they decided to call it off for the day. They had trained hard, but 18 had learned painfully from her last training session that being well-rested was a necessary part of training. Because of her fatigue, she had been knocked down on the battlefield, and she vowed never to let that happen again.

Being a woman, she insisted on taking a shower first, concerned with her appearance, even as a warrior. Piccolo and Garuda headed downstairs after her, and sat down in the recreational area at opposite ends of a circular table.

"Tell me of yourself, Garuda," Piccolo finally said, to break the silence between the two devout warriors. "I know why you are here and where you came from, but what motivates you to fight? Where do you come from? How did you come to be appointed as a guardian?"

Garuda sat still for a moment and breathed quietly. "I can answer your questions, although it is not a subject I usually touch on. Believe it or not, my being guardian is rather a disgrace to my heritage."

"I find that hard to believe," Piccolo refuted. "To be a guardian is a great honor, especially of the Temple of Shenron."

"Yes," he continued, "Well you and I and most warriors may think so, but my family was not quite so pleased. I am one of a few beings who is naturally born and lives in the afterlife. You may remember quite a famous one of our race named Kibito? Well, Kibito was my ancestor, and in my bloodline, the firstborn son is supposed to be the personal guardian to whoever the Supreme Kai is at the time."

"I could see why you wouldn't want to do that," Piccolo mumbled. "So keep going, then."

"Well," the guardian continued, "I trained and became extremely strong, as I'm sure you may have guessed, and I was inducted into the Supreme Kai's service. However, I quickly found myself to be more of a servant than any kind of guardian. I couldn't display any of my talents; it made me feel like a common butler or something. Maybe it was for my own pride, or maybe it was because I believe I could have made a difference elsewhere, but I basically turned my back on him and let my brother, Kimaru, take over. Now disowned and disgraced by my family, I was a strong mortal, lost in a realm meant for the dead. That is, until I found King Yemma. A guardian at the Temple of Shenron had betrayed him and was using the Dragonballs for his own personal gain. King Yemma employed me to take out this corrupt guardian and take his place. Since then, I've vigilantly watched over the temple. That's pretty much my story."

He fell silent again, seeming hurt. Piccolo turned his head downwards and spoke. "I'm sorry," he said. "I am not without feeling. I shouldn't have asked."

"No, no," Garuda consoled. "It's not a problem. I figure I should remind myself of my origins every so often lest I forget them. I haven't seen Kimaru in centuries… I assume he must have died a long time ago… when I return home, I would like to find him and see him again."

"You don't think you'd stay here in this dimension?" Piccolo asked him.

"No," Garuda said. "Although I may be inclined to visit often. I really do like it here, but I know where my home is."

"Yes, well," Piccolo continued, "I've spent enough time in Otherworld to know that my true duty lies in this dimension; on Earth specifically. When the time comes that we must go our separate ways, Garuda, I want you to know that I admire you for what you've done and for who you are. It makes me proud to call you my friend."

They stood and smiled at each other. "Piccolo," Garuda said, returning the compliment, "When we must part, keep in mind that there is no other warrior in the universe quite like you; your unique talents and abilities will no doubt serve you wherever you go. It is an honor to be befriended to you."

They stood there, feeling a great amount of esteem for the other, until 18 came back in with a towel over her body and a towel over her hair. "The shower's free," she commented, wrinkling her nose. "I figure one of you should use it ASAP."

She then noticed the way they were looking at each other and that they had probably just not heard what she just said. "Oh, let me guess," she commented. "You and Garuda just established some rapport by comparing your heroic deeds and are now locked in respect for each other."

Garuda turned to face her. "More or less," he said. "Anyway, I'll use the shower next." With that, he left and 18 took the seat across from Piccolo as the Namek sat down again.

"So," she said, "Why don't you ever show your respect for me like that? Are you attracted to him or something?"

"Not at all," Piccolo explained, "But among humans, and presumably Garuda's race, there are different sexes, unlike in Nameks. Through my years, I have learned how to honor different sexes differently. To establish rapport like that with you would have to be done in a different way. Have I not already done so?"

18 thought for a moment. "I knew we worked together, but have you ever really said you thought highly of me?"

"Maybe I didn't need to say so," he remarked. "Talking is only one form of communication, and in my opinion, it is a poor one."

They both smiled as they felt a great rapport grow between them. 18 laughed. "Now I just need to get to know Garuda better and I think we're all set. I'm going to dry off and head to bed now. Good night."

She exited the room, leaving Piccolo to his thoughts about the battle yet to come.

***

Boxer fought with all of his might against the Fighter Kai's foot, which was about to go to his head. It was a struggle to keep it in place, but Boxer soon slid under it, and flipped, kneeing the Fighter Kai hard in the back. Much to Boxer's surprise, he actually fell hard to the ground.

As a Super Saiyan, Boxer had learned to control his energies well, but he knew that the Fighter Kai had much untapped power that he would not hesitate to use if he really had to. But, he had promised not to kill Boxer… however, Boxer could not help but notice that he never said that Boxer could not kill him. The young warrior truly hoped that either he would have the foresight to stop if the Fighter Kai was in serious danger or that the Fighter Kai would defend himself at Boxer's risk, if need be.

"All moot," he thought, reminding himself who his adversary was. "With a single blow, he took out Nappa and Raditz, and he barely had to power up. I don't think I pose much of a threat to him." However, he noticed how much his power had grown since his first training sessions with the Kai.

Again, they stood opposite each other on their feet, breathing heavily. "This is going nowhere," the Kai said, disappointed. "I'm sorry, Boxer. I can no longer guarantee your safety, but this is the only way."

He let out a cry as he powered up, and Boxer at once felt a surge of energy flow out from the Kai. Boxer had never felt this kind of energy before; it felt strangely familiar, and yet he could not quite put his finger on the sensation. 

The Fighter Kai, now rejuvenated and surrounded with a golden aura flew towards Boxer once more, and this time easily pinned him to the ground. He grabbed the blue-haired warrior and flung him against the opposite wall. Boxer coughed blood as he felt pain ring through his whole body. Now the Kai had reached levels of power that Boxer never thought possible; why did his own student have to be the first one to ever suffer such wrath?

As Boxer went helplessly flying around the ship, thoughts kept running through his head; Piccolo telling him to train to avenge his parents, Nappa and Raditz threatening to destroy the world, his first transformation to Super Saiyan, the Fighter Kai's undying faith in him, and the girl who they had to rescue.

"Don't forget you are a true warrior now," he remembered Piccolo saying to him. "You must prove your strength in a variety of ways."

The physical concentration the Fighter Kai had taught him, the mental alertness… they all became one. Boxer once again forgot about the pain, and stood up, bursting with energy. His golden hair stood on end and his green eyes looked to be on fire. As the Fighter Kai came rushing towards him, he rammed the Kai in the stomach headfirst, and flipped around in the air, kicking him in the back, sending him flying downwards face first into the floor.

"Fighter Kai," he declared as the target of his statement rose, "I will not fail you!" Boxer concentrated all emotion, all feeling, all power into one great surge of energy… and it happened. He cried mightily as his golden aura warped around him and healed his numerous wounds. As he threw his arms out, there was a golden flash, and Boxer reappeared, seeming in every way stronger than before. His hair was slightly taller now, and he seemed to possess a greater muscle mass. 

Boxer floated there in the air for a while as the Fighter Kai stood and powered down. "Remember that feeling, Boxer," he instructed. "You are a Super Saiyan 2. The hardest part of your training is over; now it is all just perfecting your techniques."

Boxer landed with poise and powered down as well. His blue hair now fell down past his shoulders in a scraggly kind of fashion; it was no longer a bowl cut as it once was. He seemed a new man, which was only fitting. Now instead of a young man who had stumbled upon his powers accidentally, he was a true Saiyan warrior, in full control of his transformations. 

"My gift to you, Boxer," the Fighter Kai motioned for Boxer to come towards him as he rummaged through a closet. "Ah, yes, here it is."

He handed to Boxer a training gi, made of the finest materials known to mortals. "This garment is worthy of one such as yourself," he explained. It was soft, pliable, and somewhat expandable, but as Boxer tried it on, he realized that it was obviously designed for comfort as well as usefulness. 

The gi was gray with a Kai symbol on the back, but had a black undershirt and belt. Along with it, the Fighter Kai gave him a pair of black boots. Gohan had been right; a gi was ideal for battle. As soon as Boxer tried it on, he wondered how he had ever done without it. Admiring himself in the mirror, he noted that now he looked like a true warrior; a material reflection of his spirit inside.

At last, he turned back towards the Fighter Kai. "Thank you very much, Fighter Kai. I am ready to resume training now. I will become stronger, I promise you."

"I'm glad to be working with someone so determined as yourself, Boxer," the Kai complimented him again. "Now, let's get back to work. Don't forget; there's always a higher level; whether or not you can achieve it depends only on how much you believe in yourself."


	7. Betrayal

**Chapter VII: Betrayal**

"Therese!" The prophet groaned and rolled over on her side as she woke up to the most unpleasant voice she could think of. Alexander's voice over the intercom was not her ideal choice of alarm clock, but she didn't have much of a choice. She was already up.

"What do you want?" she replied groggily. "You woke me up; shouldn't that give you enough pleasure?"

"I do indeed enjoy making your life miserable," he agreed, "But nothing will give me as much pleasure as what I am about to do. Meet me in the Viewing Chamber in ten minutes. Trust me; you'll enjoy yourself."

Without being able to give much thought to what he could be talking about (she was still far too tired having not gotten much sleep the previous night), she threw a black cloak over her nightgown and made her way down the winding corridor.

She received some strange stares from the various knights, guards, and servants through the corridors of the ship. Apparently, word of her skirmish with Alexander had made its way around the ship quickly, and people weren't quite sure what to think of her. This, coupled with the fact that she looked like a mess, was not going to help her image… not that she really cared anymore. She wasn't sure what to do now. Escape was more impossible than ever, and yet, so was staying on the ship. Now more than ever, she wished to return to her home; to see her family and friends. For some reason, she could only now not bear the thought of being away from them any longer.

At last, she arrived in the Viewing Chamber, a huge room with no other purpose than to have a gigantic window gazing out into the stars beyond. Currently, the window was pointed towards Gemini and Therese's home planet. It was then that Therese was hit with the revolting thought of her home's fate.

"You wouldn't," she hissed as she neared the two figure standing by the window, clearly discernable as Gemini and Alexander. Gemini was in shackles and had some kind of mental restraining device to prevent any of her psychic powers from coming into play. She turned to face Therese with utter pity and despair, mouthing a simple "no." Therese felt her pain, but as a seasoned warrior, she had learned to turn her pain into energy.

She stood on the opposite side of Alexander and looked at him. He turned to face his prophet. "You're a disgusting, twisted man, Alexander," she began. "I truly pity you. You truly deserve death, or worse."

"Flattered, my dear, flattered," he smirked. "There is nothing else you can do to stop me. You should have killed me when you had the chance, but now I am invincible."

"What motives do you have for this, Alexander?" she asked. "What will you truly gain? You have no quarrel with this planet or its inhabitants. If it will appease you…" she hesitated, glanced at Gemini, and kneeled down. "Kill me instead. I am a member of the race that you are about to eradicate. Take my life instead and consider their sins forgiven."

Alexander stared at her for a moment and bellowed a deep laugh. "Therese, you are selfless, determined, and wonderful overall. That is why I despise you." He grimaced. "You are a truly good person, Therese, and that is why you make me sick. You have no desire for power, no desire for domination… you choose to use your strength to benefit others. It is truly disgusting, and I will not have it! But still…" he reflected for a moment, "I'd much rather see you suffer than find some sort of salvation knowing that you'd saved a planet."

"No!" Therese cried. She let out a cry of rage and powered up, but Alexander grabbed the crystal now hanging from a newly-crafted golden pendant around his neck. The crystal glowed, and Alexander pounded his fist into Therese's stomach. She went flying backwards and skidded across the ground, bleeding from the mouth. As the blood trickled down her chin, she turned towards the window to see her beloved home planet.

Alexander activated the intercom and spoke his orders. "Gunners, prepare the Frieza Cannon."

"Frieza Cannon…?" Therese asked, weakly, not turning her head.

"Yes, the Frieza Cannon," her master replied. "I named it as homage. I figured that anyone of that kind of strength deserved to be remembered forever… and now Frieza will destroy yet another planet!"

Gemini stared downward as tears rolled down her cheeks. There was nothing she could do: she was not a strong fighter and her mental capabilities were useless. The least she could do was avert her eyes, but Alexander wouldn't have it. He grabbed her by the chin and thrust her against the glass.

"Now watch," he hissed. "Watch and suffer." He turned his head back to the intercom, not weakening his grip in the least on Gemini.

"The Frieza Cannon is aimed towards the planet and fully powered," the gunman replied. "At your command, sir."

"Excellent," he whispered. "You may fire when ready."

Therese tried to close her eyes, albeit her attempts were in vain. With a morbid curiosity, she watched the planet that she called home; the planet she would never again set foot on as the laser was fired from the ship.

It was truly an amazing sight. A powerful and gigantic green beam from the ship targeted the direct center of the planet, and went entirely into the core. The three onlookers watched as the planet turned white-hot all around, and eventually became too bright for them to even see. There was a flash, and as silently as it had begun, it ended. There was not even dust left after the beam had hit: the planet was completely gone.

Alexander's prophet hung her head and cried. "Monster," she insulted. "You are heartless."

"And you are brainless, Therese," he replied, and flung Gemini on the floor next to her. "If you ever decide to put that power of yours towards anything useful, such as galactic domination, come and tell me. I'll be certain to give you a galaxy or something after I control the universe!"

Smiling, Alexander strutted towards the exit, but just as he left, he saw Therese get up out of the corner of his eye. She blinked and when her eyes reopened, there were only whites left.

"Be warned," she began in her otherworldly tone, "the hour of destruction is nigh. From two powerful bloodlines, warriors will clash in such a battle that the stars themselves will shake and worlds be split in twain. Upon the day of reckoning, naught shall be decided, but the warriors shall be thrust into eternal darkness, forever to stay in living death."

Her irises returned, and she stared at Alexander for a moment before fainting from exhaustion. Gemini sat over her, nursing her wounds. A bit perplexed and most certainly fearful, Alexander continued on his way back to his chambers a bit apprehensively.

***

Therese sprang awake suddenly, sitting upright, on the cold, metallic floor where she had fallen. Gemini had somehow removed her nullifying helmet and, in turn, her shackles. 

"What did I say?" she demanded. "I must know at once; what did I say?"

"Why is it so important?" Gemini asked, as they both stood up.

"Because I can't hear myself when I'm giving a prophecy," she explained, "And half the time, it's something important. I need to know what I said if we're going to have any chance of escaping or defeating Alexander."

"What does it matter?" Gemini asked, feeling defeated. "He destroyed our home. What more is there to life?"

"There is revenge," Therese said through gritted teeth. "There is cold, sweet, revenge, which makes all things right; and there is the promise of a new tomorrow once his filth is cleansed from the universe. We have been wronged, Gemini, horribly wronged, but we are not helpless, and we will not let him get away scot-free for the sins he has committed. But I must know what I said," she demanded again. "Tell me now."

Gemini paused for a moment to reflect on what Therese had just said, but then put her thinking aside and tried to recall what she had said earlier. "Um…" she stalled, "I think it was something about two warriors meeting and then getting sucked into darkness instead of getting anything done."

"Close enough," Therese said hastily. "I'm going back to my chambers. I must meditate on this situation. Thinking gets more done than fighting ever will."

She began to head for the exit when Gemini called for her. "Wait!" said the princess.

"What is it?" Therese inquired without turning around.

"Where am I to go?" she asked. "I was summoned out of a prison cell and I have no desire to go back there, nor do I think I'm required to."

"I don't know, and I don't care," Therese said while exiting. "I'm sorry, but I have more important things to worry about."

She flew briskly on her way back down the corridor, not regretting her cold-heartedness to Gemini; Therese had never needed a confidant before, and she refused to take one now. If she couldn't solve her own problems, then she believed that no one could. And what she had said _was true: she did have meditating to do, and now more than ever, she craved her rightful and long-awaited revenge. _

***

Lost, confused, and saddened beyond all foreseeable hope, Gemini sat by herself in the great Viewing Chamber, staring at the empty void where her home once was. She toyed with her short purple hair and stared at the floor occasionally, not thinking about much except what would happen next. She wondered about the warriors from Earth and if they would ever truly arrive, or if her meeting with the powerful warrior from Earth had all been a dream.

Not having much else to do, she eventually found herself in the Recreation Room playing games with some of the guards who were off-duty. Still, card games and darts could not replenish one bit of the empty void within her. Princess Gemini, she was sure, would never be a whole being again; despite what Therese had said revenge and further hatred could never heal a wound within her soul.

For the next few days, she balanced her time between the Viewing Chamber, the Recreation Room, and standing outside of Therese's doorway. To her knowledge (psychic abilities included) the prophet did not come out once since their last conversation, and she was deep in meditative thought. Every second, her potential power level grew enormously, but they both knew that it was next to impossible to recreate the power of the crystal.

At last, when Gemini sensed a change in her condition, she met Therese just as she was exiting her chambers.

"What's the news?" she asked eagerly. "What's happening?"

Therese sighed and walked right past Gemini, her cloak brushing against the princess's. "They're not coming," she said, at last, with an air of desolation about her. "I don't sense the warriors from Earth anywhere near here. It was just a dream, Gemini; that much is clear. I have become much stronger; mental training is exhausting, but worthwhile. The question is, when the time comes, will I be strong enough to defeat Alexander? I do not know, but I must keep training."

"Then it was just a dream…" said Gemini despondently. "I knew it was too good to be true. No one is good or kind enough to come and stop an evildoer for the sheer reason that he is doing misdeeds. There are powerful warriors on Earth, I am sure, but they must work for their own personal gain. No one with that kind of power and kindness exists in this galaxy… except maybe you, Therese."

The prophet shook her head. "I'm not kind. I do what is right, but I am not kind, nor polite, nor chivalrous. If I am the only warrior brave enough to stand up to Alexander because I believe what he is doing is wrong, then I am not afraid. I trust in myself, but…" she paused.

"But what?" Gemini asked.

"But," Therese continued, "The crystal's power is limitless. I am only a human, touched once by the crystal. Humans are far from the strongest race out there; we can achieve very high power levels, but our potential is not nearly as limitless as some of the true warrior races."

"True warrior races?" Gemini inquired again, still perplexed. Being of a peaceful planet, she knew very little of warfare, fighting techniques, power levels, and least of all, warrior races. "Explain, please. I am unlearned in the… art of war."

Therese nodded. "I can understand why. Unfortunately, most of the true warrior races are now extinct; being warlike, they destroyed each other. I doubt any of them are on Earth; they are too preoccupied with their own personal gain to bother with a remote planet like Earth. The greatest of all warrior races is a thousand years gone…"

"Why bring them up, then?" interrupted Gemini. "Surely they can't help us if they're extinct."

"I don't know, really." Therese admitted. "It just seemed like we could identify with them… they were called the Saiyans. They were a primate race of shape-shifters, but they all loved a good fight and really knew how to strut their stuff. Their egos were huge, naturally, but they were unmatched in warrior ability… unmatched by all except a mighty tyrant named Frieza."

"Frieza?" the princess shot in again. "Wasn't that what Alexander called that god-awful cannon?"

"Yes," she answered, "And with good reason. Frieza was mightier than mighty; a true god among mortals. With one single blast, he destroyed every single Saiyan in existence, save for a handful who weren't on the planet at the time. Worse yet, if his ultimate plan had succeeded, Frieza would have been a true god: immortality was his one desire, seeing as he already had the universe curled around his finger."

"Well apparently Frieza was thwarted," Gemini observed. "How did that happen? Who could have been stronger than Frieza?"

"Well, I was getting to that," Therese said while pacing back and forth trying to recall the entire story. "No one knows for sure how Frieza met his fate, but a popular explanation is that a Saiyan named… uh… Goku (I think) fulfilled an old Saiyan legend and became a Super Saiyan: an exceedingly powerful warrior that could defeat any foe. With his new powers, he vanquished Frieza, proving that Saiyans were the superior warrior race."

"What happened then?" Gemini asked, completely wrapped up in the story.

"History is unclear," Therese explained. "Universal history, anyway. Whatever planet Goku lived on after that probably praises him as a hero and tells about his further exploits. If you ask me, it's all romantic fantasy. I think Frieza was just taken down the old-fashioned way: tons of powerful warriors all fighting at once; which isn't a very reassuring thought if I'm going to have to face Alexander alone. Maybe the Saiyans all died in combat against him and Goku just landed the final blow or something. It seems unlikely that anyone could be powerful enough to take Frieza down alone."

"Then unquestionably, the Saiyans were powerful," Gemini said resolutely. "One way or another, they _did take down Frieza. I wish we had their help."_

"I will do all that I can," Therese said, starting back towards her chamber. "I must get stronger. He is too cocky to do any training; trust me. Maybe his arrogance will give me the advantage."

"But Therese," Gemini started, "What if you… don't win?"

"Better to die in righteous battle," said Therese, as her door closed, "Than live as a coward."

Suddenly, her foot shot out and stopped the door in mid-motion. "I… I was mistaken," she said, and dashed down the corridor.

Gemini was quick to pursue her. "Wait, Therese!" she cried, "Mistaken about what? Where are you going?"

Therese looked back only briefly, but Gemini could see she was smiling brightly; something Gemini had never once seen her do. "I am going to the hangar," she shouted back towards the princess. "We're going to have company shortly… a few warriors from Earth, I think!"

Gemini, smiling just as brightly, quickened her pace and ran alongside Therese as they neared the hangar bay.

***

Alexander swirled a glass of brandy  in the palm of his hand, and took a small sip, enjoying its taste. "Power corrupts, doubtless," he spoke to himself, "But corruption brings wealth."

Indeed, he couldn't be considered mistaken. At that moment, he was sitting at his throne on the bridge of his enormous battleship, looking over the levels below him at the officers hard at work and out the gigantic window into space beyond where a planet once stood. 

The tyrant sighed to himself. "Soon, the universe will tremble at the mention of my name. I will rule unchallenged. All thanks to this," he said, running his hand over the crystal that hung from the pendant around his neck. 

"Sir! Master Alexander!" came a voice. He looked down over the railing to see a captain on the second level hailing him.

"What is it, captain?" he quickly acknowledged.

"Sir! It's quite a problem!" he said, sounding distraught. "Two transport ships are on their way to the hangar; they were so small, our radars didn't pick them up until now. It seems as if they'll be preparing to dock within half an hour. Should we shoot them down?"

"Maybe," Alexander considered. "What's the power level reading on those ships?"

The captain typed a few figures into his computer screen and came up with a reading. "Pathetic, sir," he replied, much to Alexander's relief. "The life beings on both the ships have a cumulative power level of less than fifty."

"Whatever they want, they pose no threat," Alexander confirmed and sat down. "Continue your duties. We will let them dock, and if they are hostile… well, they won't live for long. Less than fifty… I don't see how they could be any use to me at all!"

"Yes, sir," the captain agreed, and began to provide orders for one of his subordinates to open the airlock at the hangar bay.

"No one that weak has ever even dared come near this ship," Alexander reflected to himself. "I honestly have no idea what they're here for. Oh well; if they're hostile, they could be some fun." He rubbed the precious stone around his neck once more and grinned, baring his sharp teeth for all to see.


	8. The Confrontation with Therese

**Chapter VIII: The Confrontation with Therese**

Boxer was in heavy meditation when he suddenly stirred. The Fighter Kai, watching intently, was pleased with his student's progress. He had sensed the evil power on the ship despite his heavy meditation. Boxer grew immensely stronger every second.

"He'd rival my power soon were he not just a human," the Fighter Kai thought for a moment and then turned to his student who wished to address him.

"Fighter Kai," Boxer began, his eyes intent and his hair flowing behind him as he got up, "I sense something dark on the ship; something of immense power."

"Do you sense conflict?" his teacher asked.

Boxer shook his head. "I don't think so… not with him. I'm not quite sure, really. I sense a conflict with someone… but not this dark entity. Not yet."

"That's quite good; I sense about the same thing," the Fighter Kai told him. "Strange, though; the person we're about to fight doesn't seem to have any malevolent or hostile intentions. Well… first things first. We must rescue the girl."

Boxer nodded. "Right." He turned to the computer screen and typed a few variables in, turning to the Fighter Kai in turn. "Ten minutes until arrival at the hangar bay. They appear to be letting us in."

"That's a relief," the Fighter Kai acknowledged. "These capsules aren't very well suited for battle. Contact the others and tell them to get ready… strange, though, I don't sense that they'd really need to be ready right away… it's something farther away…"

The Kai sat down. "I don't quite understand it," he admitted. "There are so many variables going into this battle… just notify the others that we'll be there soon."

Boxer, while equally perplexed as the Kai but curious as to what would happen once they boarded, followed his mentor's orders and opened a hailing frequency with their sister ship.

***

With a ship full of three ancient and powerful warriors without a supervisory figure, it was easy enough to presume that the ship would be a pigsty. Indeed, it was. There were water and soda bottles scattered all around, bags of health food snacks littered across the floor, battered training clothes lying over furniture, and the three warriors themselves were no better off.

18 was slumped over a circular dining table still in a nightgown, Garuda was sprawled out over the couch, his whip still held tightly in his hand, and Piccolo was facedown on the floor, without any of his weighted clothing on. All three were fast asleep, of course.

Naturally, when the beeping noise of the hailing frequency began, it startled them all into a state of confusion. 18 tried to stand up all at once and fell off of the table right onto her head. She was the lucky one.

Garuda awoke with such a frightened start, that he cracked his whip instinctively, without thinking of what his possible target might be. At that very moment, Piccolo sprang perfectly upright, and moved directly into Garuda's line of fire. At once, the Namekian warrior was entangled in Garuda's whip hold, and Garuda, surprised that he had caught something, immediately began to surge electricity through his whip.

"Yah!" Piccolo cried at the pain. "Get it OFF!!!" He powered up and sent the whip flying back towards Garuda, who only then became aware of the situation. He ducked to move himself out of the path of his electrified whip, but he didn't quite make it; his hair was caught and promptly caught fire. Piccolo's garments had caught fire as well, and there was a great deal of screaming. However, through it all, the computer beeped Boxer's hailing frequency, and as soon as 18 got her bearings straight, she accepted the message.

***

As soon as the screen came on, Boxer drew back in surprise. Standing before him was 18, her hair as rattled and frizzy as he had ever seen it, with the other two warriors on fire in the background, screaming madly.

Boxer cocked his head to one side. "Uh… 18? Is everything OK on your end?" Piccolo and Garuda suddenly ran off-screen, and Garuda came back with a fire extinguisher, spraying wildly, missing both his hair and Piccolo's clothes.

"Boxer? Is that you?" she seemed surprised and impressed. "You've grown into a fine warrior…" She stopped and responded to Boxer's question. "We're just fine, Boxer…" she said, glancing over her shoulder and barking orders. "Stop, drop, and roll, you morons!" This only promoted a wild stream of fire extinguisher fluid her way, and she turned around, her face completely covered in foam, and her eyes seeming angry.

"What do you want?" she grumbled, while Piccolo and Garuda ran around in circles aimlessly (they seemed to have run out of foam), eventually crashing into each other head-on and falling to the ground, writhing in more pain. Boxer cringed before he spoke again.

"We uh… just wanted to tell you that we'll be docking in about ten minutes… I hope you can pull yourselves together in that time."

She seemed to crack a giggle or two, and foam flew from her nostrils. "We'll meet you in the hangar," she assured, then turned around again to the two warriors who were acting like hurt dogs. "Idiots! You sure know how to make spectacles of yourselves! I'll show you a thing or two about…" She turned around and shut off the message screen.

Boxer's eyes went wide with surprise at what he had just seen, but then he just shook his head and walked back towards the Fighter Kai, who had not seen the transmission and was calmly sipping some tea.

"How did it go?" he asked his student, putting the beverage down.

"It went…" Boxer tried to find an adjective to describe the expert display of pandemonium which he had just borne witness to, but then utterly failed and settled for a less descriptive word. "It went well. They got the message."

"Good!" the Kai smiled. "Your first great challenge lies ahead, Boxer. Do not be afraid; fear attracts the fearful. Fear is your enemy, Boxer. With each foe you conquer, you conquer also your fears. Do not be afraid, no matter how bad the odds look. Things have a way of turning around just when you need it the most…" he trailed off, seeming to recollect a battle from his long history as a fighter.

"You'll do fine," he reassured his student. "After all, we'll all be there to cheer you on."

"Cheer me on?" he queried. "Won't you fight alongside me?"

"Do you sense that we will?" the Fighter Kai retorted. "You must answer these things for yourself, Boxer. Whatever you feel will be so. Do you need our help, Boxer? Truly, do you need it to defeat your upcoming adversary?"

The blue-haired warrior sensed nothing. "I will wait and see," he replied.

"Just as well," the Kai conceded. "Patience is a virtue."

***

Therese and Gemini stared out the large window in the hangar, overlooking space. At last, two shimmering dots appeared in the distance and appeared to be making headway towards the ship.

"It's odd," Gemini started, "But I barely sense anything. They're not very strong at all, are they? How will they be of any use to you?"

"You have much to learn of the martial arts, Gemini," the Mistress of the ship explained. "If they came roaring in here showing their full power levels, Alexander would probably have their ships blasted to smithereens before they even got on board. They are hiding their true power levels to try to make themselves not seem too conspicuous. They may have overdone it, but at least they will be able to get onboard."

"Hiding their power levels?" the princess asked again. "I don't understand."

"Sense me, Gemini," Therese challenged. "What do you feel?"

Gemini reached out with her psychic powers into Therese's being, but felt nothing related to power level. "I barely sense anything," she confessed. "But how can that be? You were immensely powerful just before!"

"True, and I still am," Therese explicated. "But, I cannot reach that power level unless I power up, by concentrating and focusing my energy. By keeping my power level low, I save energy and don't draw any attention to myself. It's an easy technique to master, but a vital one."

"I really just don't understand fighting at all," Gemini said, shaking her head. "I pray that you and these Earth warriors have mastered it sufficiently so that I won't have to."

"We will wait and see," said Therese as the ships neared and the airlock opened. "We shall see."

***

The capsule landed with a rattle, but Boxer and the Fighter Kai stood perfectly still. Shortly afterwards, the ramp opened into the hangar of the warship and the two warriors descended. Parallel to them, out of the corner of his eye, Boxer caught Piccolo, Garuda, and 18 dismounting from their ship. They were perfectly groomed, amazingly enough, and looked battle-ready.

The five warriors met in the center of their two ships, and stood from left to right, Garuda, the Fighter Kai, Boxer in the center, Piccolo, and 18. In the distance, they saw two feminine figures, and strode as one unit towards them.

When they were standing no more than five feet away, they stopped their march. "There," said the Fighter Kai, and motioned towards the purple-haired girl in the dark-colored robes. "She is Gemini; the one we are here to rescue."

"This is the one who appeared to me in my vision," she explained to her compatriot, who was taller than she, wore an ominous black robe and had perfectly straight black hair down to her midsection. The mysterious woman just nodded. She was in her early thirties, presumably, but had a mysterious air about her. Boxer couldn't quite put his finger on who she was or what role she played in the grand scheme of things.

The mysterious woman just nodded and remained silent. It didn't seem to matter: Boxer was captivated with Gemini. She was truly the most beautiful individual he had ever seen. She had a strange sort of otherworldly splendor that Boxer could not draw his eyes away from. At last, Gemini returned his stare, eyeing him strangely, and the blue-haired warrior pulled away, slightly embarrassed. Neither one said a word.

At last, the Fighter Kai stepped forward. "I am the Fighter Kai, a deity in service of the Grand Kai in Earth's afterlife. I was sent to investigate the chain of events that began with the dispatch of Nappa and Raditz to Earth. I have reason to believe that it originated here."

"Your reasoning was correct," replied the mysterious woman in a bewitching tone of voice, which was apparently her ordinary one. "My master, Alexander dispatched them to do his dirty work. However, it seems that they fell to your band of merry men. Might I ask just who they are?"

"Certainly," the Fighter Kai granted. "These are my friends, Garuda, Boxer, Piccolo, and Android 18."

"That's just 18 for short," she interrupted, smoothing her hair with one hand, her other hand on her left hip.

"I see," the mysterious woman said. "My name is Therese. Apparently, you already know of my companion Gemini. We have much to discuss."

The Fighter Kai nodded. "Indeed we do. I will share my story if you will share yours."

"Of course," Therese agreed. 

***

A while later, their stories were told in full, each one full of excitement, plot twists, and the occasional twinge of pity or regret. 

"Well, now that we are well-acquainted, I should probably tell you something," Therese began.

"I'm listening," the Kai responded.

"Your primary concern here is probably rescuing the girl?" the prophet asked. The Fighter Kai nodded. "Well, I'm afraid your work was in vain. I have already saved her. She is safe with me, but neither one of us has any place to return to."

"Well," Boxer interposed, stepping forward, "You two would be welcome at my company, The Capsule Corporation, back on Earth. I'd be more than happy to set you up there."

Therese nodded. "A generous offer. We'll take you up on that eventually, but first things first. We must stop Alexander; he is a madman, and it will take a team of strong warriors to defeat him. Are you up to the challenge?"

"We would never back down," Garuda grunted. "It's our job to shut down evil slime like this Alexander guy."

"Good, the spirit is willing," Therese acknowledged. "But how fares the flesh? Certainly, if you're not strong, you're of no use to me."

"What are you suggesting, Therese?" The Fighter Kai asked, knowing the answer.

"A simple battle; that's all," she clarified, as if her hinting had really needed clarification. "I'm not foolish like Alexander; I would never overestimate my own strength. I would not dare take all of you on at once. I suggest I face your weakest; your most inexperienced. If he (or she, as the case may be) can defeat me, then certainly, working together, we could defeat Alexander. If not, things may be difficult. This is only a precaution, I assure you. I am not too proud as to toss duty aside in favor of play fighting." 

"Certainly you don't mean a fight to the death?" Piccolo questioned. "That would be foolish.

"I am no fool," she agreed. "It should be apparent when one of us is beaten, or when one of us gives up. I refuse to let killing take place; without you five, I'd be of no use against Alexander, but as I know his weaknesses, without me, you five would be equally as useless."

"I wouldn't bet on _that," 18 grumbled, but let the insult slide for the time being._

She eyed the ragtag bunch. "So, which one of you will it be? Boxer, maybe? From your story, he seems the newest at this."

"Boxer will do well," the Fighter Kai declared. "He is well-trained, powerful, and determined. We will be here as his moral support, if that's all right."

Therese nodded in agreement. "Of course."

Boxer, unafraid, stepped forward, as the other four warriors and Gemini stepped backwards in their respective directions. Therese and Boxer met face to face in the middle of the hangar and stared into each others' eyes.

"Fight well, Boxer," Therese warned, "For I certainly will."

"I have yet to disappoint," Boxer affirmed, unmoving.

"Boxer!" Piccolo called. "Remember your training! Remember who you are!"

Boxer turned and nodded to his first mentor. "I will not fail you, Piccolo."

"Well then," Therese said, rubbing her wrists "Let the battle begin!"


	9. A Deadly Foe: A Powerful Ally

**Chapter IX: A Deadly Foe; A Powerful Ally**

Boxer anticipated that Therese would make the first move; indeed she did. She threw a punch directly towards Boxer's face. He titled his head away at the last second, making his opponent punch air. 

Therese drew her hand back, frowning. She had not expected someone with as broad and solid a build as Boxer to be quite so nimble. Drawing her fist back again, she tried to punch Boxer again, but at the last second, thrust her other fist out as well.

Boxer turned his head to the side to avoid the first punch, and instantaneously bent his head all the way backwards to avoid the second. He grinned; he was just playing with Therese. This was far too easy.

"My turn," Boxer said cheerily and punched Therese in the stomach. She went flying back a long distance, relatively unharmed, but very perplexed.

"How," she thought, "Could someone that nimble also pack such a punch? It's unheard of! And he's so calm on the battlefield… this is like a game to him."

She picked herself up and flew towards the blue-haired warrior, and did a flying roundhouse kick in midair. Boxer leaned to one side, then ducked, leapt upwards, and grabbed Therese by the waist. He then threw her down hard into the floor, proceeding to make a graceful landing where he had just stood.

Therese stood, rubbed her bruised cheek, and turned to face boxer. She let out a war cry, and let out a fury of punches and kicks directly towards Boxer. However, he merely blocked or dodged everything she threw at him, no matter how fast or hard she tried. 

Eventually, he grew tired of blocking, and he back flipped, landing on his hands, and flipping around again, instantaneously flew towards Therese, kneeing her in the chest and sending her flying again.

Therese, while flying back, flipped around and landed back on her feet, then walked back towards Boxer and looked him in the eyes (downward, of course, because of their height difference).

"You…" she began, not quite sure what to make of him. "You're just fooling around, aren't you? You're not really fighting at all. You haven't even showed me a fraction of your true power."

Boxer shrugged. "Why would I need to? If I were to unleash my true power on you in your current state, you wouldn't stand a chance of even surviving. You haven't shown your true power either."

"True, true," she admitted. "You catch on quickly, Boxer, but I think our little practice round is over. Let's power up; just a little bit, so we can really fight instead of just play around. We don't have time to waste, all right?"

"You want me to unleash my true power _now?" he asked, a little disappointed. "I wanted a good battle."_

"No, not necessarily," she told him, "Unless that's what it takes to stand up to me. But let's at least power up enough to have a real fight. All right?"

"Sure, all right," Boxer agreed. He didn't power up right away; he wanted to sense how far Therese would go and then adjust his power accordingly.

"All right then!" Therese cast off her cloak, to reveal her leather bustier and shorts. She was already surrounded by a shimmering orange aura and letting out a powering-up war cry. A little stub of metal went flying into her hand from a holder on her shorts, and extended into a full length quarter staff. 

At last, she thought she had powered up sufficiently, and stood straight once again and brushed her hair back. Therese the prophet was a deadly beauty when decked out in her battle garb.

"And you, Boxer?" she inquired. "Are you that cocky?"

"We'll see," he said, wishing to hide his true power to see how far he needed to power up to hold his own against Therese.

"Well then," she shouted while flying towards him, "Try this on for size!" With a deft blow that was almost too fast to track, she struck Boxer across the chest with her staff, and he went flying back, crashing into the metal airlock (thankfully not breaking it).

"Jeez," he said to himself while rubbing his head, "She sure packs a punch. I'm not gonna fool around."

"All right, Therese!" he called to her, from the other side of the room. "Now we'll see who's gonna win this fight!"

***

Piccolo's eyes narrowed a little bit as he turned to the Fighter Kai. "He's going Super Saiyan. Are you sure that's necessary to win this fight, Kai? Isn't that overkill?"

The Fighter Kai stared at his protégé. "Maybe," he confessed. "We'll see."

***

Boxer's now-long blue hair stood on end as his gi flustered about. A red aura engulfed him, and Therese could feel immense waves of power coming from him.

"What's this?" she thought. "How could someone concentrate so much power around himself? He's only a human who never came in contact with the crystal… by all laws of physics, he should be imploding by concentrating that much power into himself. What is he trying to prove?"

Boxer's eyes went blank for a moment, and there was a flash. When Therese could see clearly again, Boxer was now no longer Boxer somehow. His hair was golden and stood on end, and his eyes, formerly blue, were pale green.

He strode back confidently to greet Therese. "You're no human, are you?" she asked. "I thought you were, but I was wrong. What are you, Boxer? What kind of alien are you?"

"I am human," he protested. "Mostly. But a very long time ago, my ancestors were the house of Vegeta: prince of the Saiyans."

"The Saiyans!?" the prophet exclaimed, absolutely astonished. "Then you must be…"

Boxer nodded. "I am a Super Saiyan, as was Goku who defeated Frieza long ago."

"I must admit that I am impressed," she declared. "I truly didn't believe that Goku turned into a Super Saiyan and defeated Frieza, but…" she paused.

"But what?" Boxer asked.

"But I still don't!" she taunted. "It's impossible that one such man could defeat Frieza, and it is impossible that one such man could defeat me, especially one of such diluted blood. You'll need more than golden hair and green eyes to beat me, Boxer."

"Your skepticalness will be your downfall," he warned her. "But don't take my word for it… I'll show you!" Quicker than Therese could blink, Boxer lunged at her. Relying on instinct alone, Therese thrust her staff downward. Not even needing to think about it, Boxer dodged easily and head butted her in the thigh. Now the true battle had begun.

Therese knelt down to nurse her wound, but Boxer was already above her, ready for another blow. She held her staff up in defense, but Boxer swiveled around it. Before he could land a blow, Therese jumped back, but she couldn't seem to shake Boxer from her tail; he quickly adjusted his course right before he hit the floor and flew towards her.

She flipped over Boxer, and caught his head in-between her knees. Now, she was standing on her hands, her knees bent to hold Boxer's neck, who was on his knees facing the opposite direction.

"All too easy," he thought, and at once took off. Therese didn't expect this tactic, of course, and being somewhat light, when Boxer stopped short, she went flying into the ceiling, still facing downwards, and saw Boxer coming right for her with outstretched fist.

Sensing his attack, she grabbed his fist in her left hand, and struck him with all her might across the face with her staff. As he went flying to the floor, Boxer realized the problem with his strategy; Therese utilized a weapon; she was one with her staff, and having an extra appendage certainly gave her an advantage. It didn't matter if Boxer was more powerful, which he very well may have been; he needed a way to surprise her; give her something she couldn't counter with her staff.

Suddenly, Boxer had an idea, but he needed to execute it very quickly. He slowed his falling pace, but not quite enough to make it noticeable to Therese who was still watching him and recovering. Still with a look of pain on his face, he cupped his hands and whispered: "Ka-me…"

A little energy ball appeared in his hand. He concentrated a sizeable portion of his energy into this attack; if this diversion worked, he would have time to re-energize anyway. 

"Hah-me…" he continued, the ball of energy gradually growing larger. Therese still suspected nothing, but looked on with some surprise; she simply did not expect that Boxer could be as powerful as he was. 

At last the energy attack was great enough to create a perfect diversion. A split second before he hit the floor, he finished his attack. "Ha!" The attack grew exponentially in size, and rocketed towards Therese with amazing speed."

At the last second, Boxer landed on his hands, and flipped over onto his feet to watch the ensuing chaos. Therese simply did not sense this attack in time and was hit by its full force. 

"NO!!!" she gave out a huge cry of pain as the energy coursed around and through her body; not a single particle of energy hit anything except Therese. "Augh!" she screamed, and fell lifeless to the ground. Boxer knew he couldn't give up yet; she would be back on her feet in moments.

With all his might, Boxer charged towards Therese. Just as she raised her head, Boxer kicked it back down, back flipping and then rocketing in the air to throw another energy attack.

***

18 watched this portion of the battle with some sense of disgust. She turned to the Fighter Kai. "Don't you think he's overdoing it?" she asked worriedly. "She's down! What if he seriously hurts her?"

The Fighter Kai didn't turn his head to turn away from battle as he responded to her. "Boxer knows what he's doing. Therese is far from down, and now she will adapt to his change in tactics. If Boxer lets himself fall to a break in the action, Therese may gain the upper hand. It's not about overkill, 18; it's about winning. Boxer will not kill her, but he will also not let her win. Such is the way I have taught him."

"That seems familiar…" she mumbled, and turned back to watch as Boxer fired another energy attack down upon the unsuspecting prophet.

***

However, this time Therese _did sense the attack in time, and rolled out of the way, having only her arm somewhat charred from the blast. She was now covered in dust, and had her share of cuts and bruises. Boxer's previous energy attack had seriously damaged her. Now she __couldn't let Boxer get the upper hand._

However, the young warrior, possessed by his own love of fighting and desire to win propelled himself towards Therese as soon as he landed and knocked her to the floor, flying right past her as soon as she stood.

"I've got to think of something quick or else I'm down," she considered. Suddenly, it occurred to him. Boxer had tried the same attack twice before changing tactics; if he held to his pattern, she could take advantage of the situation.

She got up again, and saw Boxer flying madly towards her again. This time, at the last second, she dropped and flipped, her legs catching Boxer's neck. However, before Boxer had the opportunity to fly again, Therese flipped upwards and locked her arms through Boxer's armpits and around his shoulders. He couldn't move his arms, and Therese's skinny legs seemed to easily evade his kicks.

"You fought well, Boxer," she commented, "But I won't let you win this one. You are strong, but maybe not strong enough to defeat Alexander. If this is the best you can do, I bet I can take him on by myself. Besides…" she smiled, "I haven't even reached my full power yet!"

With that, the orange aura engulfed her again, and her muscles bulged, but Therese seemed to retain the same, sleek figure. Her wounds were healed at once, and the dust cleansed from all over her body. Out of the corner of his eye, Boxer saw her staff change as well; it became a fiery red color and covered with an energy shield. 

As Therese powered up, the ships in the hangar rattled violently, Gemini fell down at once, and even Boxer's companions struggled to remain standing. At last, the heated vibrations ceased, and Gemini and her staff were surrounded with a humming orange energy shield.

"This is my full power, at least as well I can tell," Therese whispered in Boxer's ear, as he struggled even further to get free, but his attempts were met with even more futility. "I have undergone nonstop mental training for days to achieve this level of power. I would like to see you try it, you who have never been in contact with the crystal."

She let Boxer go, but before Boxer could even begin to comprehend what was happening, she struck him hard across the back with all the might of her staff. He went flying in a spiral straight into the wall, and got his head stuck in the metal he indented.

When he pulled himself out of the wall and turned around, Therese was coming at him at a speed beyond belief. By striking her staff, she knocked Boxer's legs out from under him and then thrust her staff upwards, making the young warrior fly into the ceiling at great speeds, again leaving his indented image. 

***

Garuda's mouth hung open as he bore witness to Therese's frightening display of power. "That's really amazing!" he declared. "But Fighter Kai, don't you think it's too much for the kid? Yeah, you or me, we could take that kind of punishment, but what about him? He doesn't look like he's doing so hot!"

The Fighter Kai still did not turn; presumably didn't even blink. "Boxer is doing fine. He will trust his feelings; they will lead him to victory. Therese's display of power is merely a minor setback. But really, Garuda, how long do you think she can hold up for?"

Garuda shrugged. "For the kid's sake, I sure hope it's not very long."

The Fighter Kai shook his head. "It doesn't matter either way. Boxer will find a way. I trained him to make the most of any situation, and I have faith that he will do just that."

"If only he could get rid of that staff…" Garuda mused.

***

Luckily, Boxer was already a step ahead of Garuda. He knew that he needed to get rid of Therese's staff if he wanted time to plan out a strategy. He would once again employ his "play dead" tactic; it was his only shot.

Opening his eye just slightly, he saw Therese come at him while he was still stuck to the dent he made in the ceiling. Summoning as much power as he possibly could, he blocked out all other images, all other feelings, except for the sight of the staff. He predicted its movements; he saw its intentions. He sensed its existence and its connection to Therese.

He concentrated all of his power into his legs and waited until just the right moment, and then it happened. He felt something click in his head, and he shot his legs out with all of his might, straight into the staff. His normal sight returned, and he saw the staff go flying straight to the far end of the hangar and Therese directly to the floor.

This was his chance; his one and only shot at victory. Speeding his way to the floor, he made his intentions known to Therese. "Skeptic!" he called to her as she raced after her staff, which was still bouncing around quite a bit. "You could not believe that such a thing as Super Saiyan existed, but I have proved you wrong. Now, I will prove you wrong again! You believed that a Super Saiyan without the help of his comrades could not defeat you. And, you never stated this, but I'm sure you must think so; Super Saiyans are the highest level of power a Saiyan can achieve!"

He concentrated power into every pore of his body, focusing on the memories of Nappa and Raditz coming at him. "You…"

Boxer thought of Vegeta, and his great power and pride; how that Saiyan had given rise to his current state of power. "… Were…"

Finally, the memory of his parents hit him, and the dark figure crouched in the window when they had been slain. Somehow, this creature weakened him; somehow, it gave him strength. Boxer felt a new power stir within him; a power he had achieved only once before. "… WRONG!!!"

In an explosive burst of energy, Boxer stood still, as the shockwave of energy he sent out made ships collapse where they stood and bring even the most powerful of warriors who were standing to their knees. His hair now stood taller and more rigid; his muscles wider. 

"I am a Super Saiyan 2, Therese!" he called, as she finally grasped her staff and turned around. "Face me, and discover why I will defeat Alexander!"

***

"Sir!" one of the captains called out to Alexander high up on the bridge. "There seems to be a massive power surge coming from the hangar bay!"

"What?" he asked confounded. "It couldn't be those life forms that were just on their way here, could it have been?"

"It appears that they are, sir, but I can't quite explain it," the captain spoke quickly, alarmed. "Four out of the five life forms are still at the same power levels as when they were on the ship, but one has skyrocketed past any measurable level… and the other great power seems to be the Mistress Therese herself."

"What!?" he exclaimed, startled and amazed. "Captain, I want a power level readout right now on both of them!"

"Yes, sir" the captain acknowledged, but as soon as he sat back down to the reader, it exploded right in his face. "Sir! Their power levels have gone past anything we have ever recorded, and it's clear blown the system out of order!"

"Impossible!" the tyrant exclaimed. "Captain, stay where you are! I'm going to investigate this myself!" he exclaimed as he threw his brandy glass to the floor, where it shattered. With that, he left in a hurry on his way to the hangar bay as the crew watched in wonder and horror.

***

Still reluctant to believe that she could lose to such a warrior, Therese sped towards Boxer with all of her might. He instantly concentrated his power into speed, and Therese went flying right past him, having lost all sense of tracking.

He appeared right behind her, his image still lasting where it once stood, and concentrated his energy into physical power. He kicked Therese hard in the back, and she went skidding across the floor, landing upside down, still grasping her staff, against the wall.

Shifting his focus again, he concentrated his strengths this time on an energy attack. "Kamehameha!" he shouted, and the energy at once sprang forth from his cupped hands, and before Therese could even see the enormous energy blast, it struck her. 

Therese now lay face down on the floor, but she sensed Boxer coming at her. Leaping to her feet just as Boxer was about to reach her, she focused her full force into her staff and struck with all of her available energy.

Boxer was quick to sense it, and refocused his energies again into defense. When Therese's staff hit him against the chest, it split in two; the halves went flying straight across the room to the opposite end of the hangar.

Therese, now obviously frightened and lost, found herself being hoisted up by Boxer's hand grasping her side. Despite the fact he had not grown in size and was still a rather short man, he seemed ten feet tall at that moment.

Boxer wound his fist back, and concentrated all of his energy into one tentative final punch. A throbbing golden aura surrounded his fist as he readied to strike Therese. At last, the prophet's eyes went wide, and she cried out.

"Stop! I surrender!"

The words echoed about the hangar, and all else seemed to go silent for a moment, save for the low hum of Boxer's golden aura.

Exhausted, Boxer dropped her and powered down to his normal state, breathing heavily. "It…" he gasped, "It was a good fight, Therese." Boxer smiled. He had won.


	10. A New Conflict

**Chapter X: A New Conflict**

"That it was," she groaned. "You are stronger than I, and maybe even strong enough to defeat Alexander, if all of your comrades are that strong."

"Are you all right?" Boxer asked, helping her to her feet.

"I'll live," she reassured him, spitting out a mouthful of blood. She stopped suddenly. "Boxer, I sense Alexander. He's coming this way in a hurry. I… I never showed you my special attack. If you could perform it, Boxer…" she thought to herself for a moment. "If you could make the Double Helix Beam your own… maybe we could win…"

She turned to the Fighter Kai and addressed him: "Boxer is amazing. In a space of almost no time at all, he has gained incredible amounts of power. If you could train him more…"

The Fighter Kai nodded. "He could become a Super Saiyan 3. Then he would truly be almost invincible, especially with this special attack of yours."

Piccolo turned to them. "If you two took Boxer to train, we would have to face Alexander on our own if he is coming now. We could certainly use your help."

The Fighter Kai disagreed and shook his head. "Boxer and Therese are worn out; they'd do you little good. I am only one man; my powers are not infinite. It is a heavy burden that I bestow upon you three. Will you accept it?"

"I would fight," Garuda said, "Even if I were alone to stop a tyrant such as this Alexander character."

"Well," 18 added, not to be outdone, "I'd face two of Alexander if it were necessary. If you're brave enough to face him, Garuda, I'll fight by your side."

Piccolo smiled. "Well, count me in too. You two will probably need my help."

18 returned his grin. "Glad to have you onboard, Namek."

"And what about me?" Gemini suddenly called. "I doubt I'd be of much use either place."

"You will come with us, Gemini," the Fighter Kai said devoutly. "You will be safe on Therese's ship."

Therese nodded. "Speaking of my ship, let's get on it. It's that one," she said, pointing to a black bird-shaped vessel near the back. "The _Raven."_

She leaned on Boxer's shoulder as they flew towards the ship. The Fighter Kai took Gemini by the hand as they all neared the _Raven. It seemed to happen so fast; they got onto the ship, and took off out of the airlock into space beyond._

And at that very moment, a tall man with distinguished features and curly blond hair entered the room through the elevator; this was the fearsome man that Therese had described as Alexander.

Before saying a word, he looked around the area. At last, he spoke in his menacing, thick voice: "Where is Therese? Where is Gemini? Where is that fighter with the huge power level? They were just here!"

"They're not here now," said Piccolo stepping forward.

"So I've noticed, Namek," he shot back angrily. "Oh well… you're the three with the pathetic power levels of… about ten each, maybe? You'd best not be here to challenge me."

"Oh, but we are, Alexander," said Garuda boldly, cracking his whip. "Your dire deeds end here!"

"Well then," he stated while snickering, "I should at least introduce myself before I wipe you off the face of the galaxy! I am Alexander… and soon, I shall be Alexander the Great!"

_End of the Gemini Saga_


End file.
